Page 11 - CCPS Monograph - Natural Hazards

15. Supplies and logistics
16. Equipment checks
17. NHERP maintenance, quality assessment/quality control

Lists of example activities to be taken before, during and after the natural hazard event is provided in
Appendix D. These lists can be used in conjunction with the site’s NHERP, both in the developing of the
plan and in its use.

Although the NHERP in Appendix B includes a section on communication, it is highlighted here as it
applies to all phases of the planning and recovering from a natural hazard event. Plans should be made
and executed for communication with the community, media, and local authorities before, during and
after the event. All communication means (TV, radio, email, text and other social media avenues) should
be considered to reach all potentially impacted people.

Example:
Let’s continue the example of the company with a firewater pump below their company design
criteria for flooding. Recall that the company conducts engineering studies to evaluate elevating
the fire pump and determines that this is not feasible. However, in this alternative case, they
decide that the consequence of a fire will lead to both on-site and off-site impacts. They decide
that they can reduce the quantity of flammables and combustibles inside the structure by
following their hurricane preparedness procedure. This action will help to mitigate the
consequence to a lower level. They also identify that the local fire department can respond in a
few minutes (from high ground) thereby mitigating the consequence with a firewater source
independent of the plant firewater pump. They use the company risk management process,
obtain approval address the potential fire pump flooding through emergency response
planning. In addition to developing and implementing the NHERP, they meet with and make
specific emergency response plans with the local fire department to provide firewater if needed.

7 RECOVERY

After the disaster has passed, it is time to manage the aftermath and resume operations. There will likely
be damaged equipment to repair, contamination to address, hidden or silent failures, new hazards
associated with old equipment, and the typical startup challenges. At this time, it is critical to identify the
concerns and needs driven by the unique situation. The workforce is likely dealing with damage to their
homes and concerns for their families’ welfare. Stress and distraction are of heightened concern in
managing a safe return to operations. Additionally, workers new to the site (e.g., employees from other
worksites, specialty contractors unfamiliar with the site/its processes) may be brought in to complete
repair efforts. Management of any new workforce should be a focus area.

Stabilize and assess. First conduct the activities such as those suggested in the “After the natural hazard
event” section of Appendix D. Assessing the situation is a key step. The site will likely look different, pose
different hazards, and have safeguards disabled. In the effort to bring things back to normal, it is easy to
overlook these points. Time should be taken to consider potential hazards and protect against them to
avoid injury during this assess and stabilize stage.

Secure. As soon as services are available and it is safe to do so, activate as many of the security systems
as possible—including lighting, video monitoring, motion detectors, gate locks, access authorization

Assessment of and planning for natural hazards 8

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