CONTINGENCY

MEASURES AND
PROCEDURES
A contingency plan is a written emergency procedures plan which describes what actions
must be taken to minimize hazards from fires, explosions or unplanned releases of hazardous
waste or hazardous waste constituents to air, soil or water.
What Must a Contingency Plan Include?
A description of the emergency procedures to be followed by facility personnel in
response to fires, explosions, or any unplanned sudden or non-sudden release of hazardous
waste or hazardous waste constituents to the air, soil or water;
A description of arrangements agreed to by local police departments, fire departments,
hospitals, contractors, and state and local emergency response teams;
An up-to-date list of names, addresses and phone numbers (office and home) of all
persons qualified to act as emergency coordinator. When more than one person is listed, one
must be designated as primary emergency coordinator and the others must be listed in the
order in which they will assume responsibility as alternates;
An up-to-date list of all emergency equipment at the facility, including the location and
physical description of each item, along with a brief outline of its capabilities.
An evacuation plan for facility personnel.
Evacuation is the immediate and rapid movement of people away from the
threat or actual occurrence of a hazard. Examples range from the small scale
evacuation of a building due to a bomb threat or fire to the large scale evacuation
of a district because of a flood, bombardment or approaching weather system. In
situations involving hazardous materials or possible contamination, evacuees
may be decontaminated prior to being transported out of the contaminated area.

Isolation refers to various measures taken to prevent contagious diseases

from being spread from a patient to other patients, health care workers, and
visitors, or from others to a particular patient. Various forms of isolation exist,
some of which contact procedures are modified, and others in which the patient
is kept away from all others.
Forms of Isolation
a. Strict isolation is used for diseases spread through the air and in some cases by
contact.
b. Contact isolation is used to prevent the spread of diseases that can be spread
through contact with open wounds.
c. Respiratory isolation is used for diseases that are spread through particles that
are exhaled.
d. Blood and body fluids precaution is used when there is concern about
communicable diseases found in a patient's body fluid.
e. Reverse isolation is a method to prevent a patient in a compromised health
situation from being contaminated by other people or objects.
Decontamination is the reduction or removal of chemical agents.
 OPERATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY PROCEDURE,
PRACTICES AND REGULATION/EMERGENCY-RELATED
DRILLS AND TRAINING

Fire Safety
This refers to precautions that are taken to prevent or reduce
the likelihood of a fire that may result in death, injury, or property
damage, alert those in a structure to the presence of an
uncontrolled fire in the event one occurs, better enable those
threatened by a fire to survive, or to reduce the damage caused by
a fire.
 OPERATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY PROCEDURE,
PRACTICES AND REGULATION/EMERGENCY-RELATED
DRILLS AND TRAINING

In our country, Fire Prevention Month is being observed in

March of every year led by the Bureau of Fire Protection
(BFP). The purpose of the month-long observance is to
heighten the fire safety consciousness of the Filipino people
and reduce incidence of fires that result to property losses.
Most fires start in the kitchen because people are too
negligent about loose valves of liquefied petroleum gas
(LPG) tanks. There are other several causes of fire, they are
as follows:
Overheated appliances, like failure to switch off water heater
and unplug flat iron after use
Worn-out electrical connections
Left unattended lighted candles
Overheated lights (Christmas lights to be specific) and
lanterns
Sudden surge of electricity Fire
Fire drills are conducted at the frequencies specified by the Fire
Code and involve all of the following activities and considerations:

The fire alarm system is activated as part of the drill (activated in a

manner to assess the response of supervisory staff and participants to the
alarm condition, or alternatively activated by an individual participating
in a given fire scenario situation which is an expected response during
the drill)

Supervisory staff operates emergency systems and equipment as they

would in the event of an actual fire, (where applicable the voice
communication or paging system, elevator protocol, smoke control
equipment protocol, etc.)
 All supervisory staff that have specific duties identified in the fire
safety plan participate (notification of the fire department, provisions for
access for firefighting, evacuating endangered occupants, closing doors,
notification of supervisory staff who may be off site and an assessment
of their timely response, etc.).

The fire drill runs long enough to adequately assess the expected
responses of supervisory staff and the emergency procedures relative to
the scenario expectations (if the drill is too short, it may not be possible
to adequately assess whether sufficient staff have or will respond, etc.)

The fire drill outcomes are documented and where concerns are
identified, corrective measures are implemented.
Earthquake
It is the shaking and vibration at the surface of the earth resulting from
underground movement along a fault plane or from volcanic activity.
The following activities are to be undertaken:
During the Earthquake
Indoors
Stay inside
Drop, cover and hold on. Move only a few steps to a nearby safe place.
Take cover under and hold onto a piece of heavy furniture or stand against an
inside wall. Stay indoors until the shaking stops. Stay away from windows
and doors.
If you are in bed, hold on, stay and protect your head with a pillow.
Outdoors
Find a clear spot away from buildings, trees, and power lines. Drop to the
ground until the shaking stops.
After the Earthquake
Personal Safety
Expect aftershocks. Each time you feel one, drop, cover and hold on.
Check yourself for injuries. Protect yourself by wearing long pants, a long-sleeved
shirt, sturdy shoes and work gloves.
Listen to a battery-operated radio or television for the latest emergency information.
Check others for injuries. Give first aid where appropriate. Do not move seriously
injured persons unless they are in immediate danger of further injury.
Remember to help your neighbors who may require special assistance--infants, the
elderly, and people with disabilities.
Home
Inspect your home for damage. Get everyone out if your home is
unsafe.
Fires: Look for and extinguish small fires.
Gas: Check for gas leaks. If you smell gas or hear blowing or hissing
noise, open a window and leave building. Turn off the gas at the valve.
Electricity: Look for electrical system damage. Turn off the electricity
at the main fuse box or circuit breaker if you see sparks or broken or
frayed wires, or if smell hot insulation. If you have to step in water to get
to the fuse box or circuit breaker, call an electrician first for advice.
Sewage, Water: Check for sewage and water lines damage.
First Aid
It is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually
performed by non expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured
person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed.
A good first aider must possess the following characteristics:
Watchful – pay strict attention to the situation.
Resourceful – ability of devising ways and means.
Gentle – having a kind and calm characteristics.
Diplomatic – careful in saying a word not to upset other people.
Sympathetic – a mutual association or feeling to be shown to the
victim.
Gladsome – possessing a good spirit, likely to display gloom.
General Directions for First Aid
1.Give immediate action. Action taken needs to be careful not to
cause panic. The first – aider must remain calm all the times.

2. Keep the victim on its position; if possible lay him/her down.

3. Assess the situation. Examine the victim from injuries.

4. Plan action to be taken. It involves seeking expert assistance.

Live with intention. Walk to the edge.
Listen hard. Practice wellness.
Play with abandon. Laugh.
Choose with no regret.
Do what you love.
Live as if this is all there is.

-Mary Anne Roadacher-Hershey

Thank you for listening!