Emergencies

With a plan in place, you won’t be caught off base

 

What are two critical things to do in an emergency?

What if you saw someone collapse?

What if you witnessed a significant leak?

Everyone should have a clear idea of what to do in an emergency.  For a Mechanical crew first arriving at a jobsite, reviewing emergency actions is part of the JSA process.  For Operations personnel familiar with their unit, it’s being able to recognize something that is out of kilter and knowing the correct response. Other personnel not directly affiliated with a process unit need to know the emergency action procedures so that they react appropriately.

… what should be the two things you do if you witness a developing emergency?

If a goal is to ensure a proper response to the emergency, then there are two critical things that you should keep in mind.

1)  If your initial action puts you in danger, you may become another victim.  Under that scenario the emergency just expanded and it’s possible that no one else still knows about the emergency.  So your first action should always be to protect yourself.  Don’t rush in to be a hero.

2)  From a protected place, your second action is to let someone else know about the emergency by calling the emergency numberor by using a Process radio to report the incident so that a proper response can be made.

Once you’ve made the proper emergency notifications and it’s been acknowledged that assistance is being summoned, then your next action will depend on the situation and the current training you have to respond.