Date: Fri, 9 Jul 2010 08:13:26 -0600
Reply-To: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: "Skarda, Jay" <SkardaJ**At_Symbol_Here**NJHEALTH.ORG>
Subject: Re: Emergency Action Plan for science labs
In-Reply-To: <BBFA6832756A874D89D201416246904006E7B7BA**At_Symbol_Here**exchng2k.dom.edu>

Kathleen:  I've had some experience with this sort of thing the last couple
 
of years.   Here's the deal, emergency generators are generally designed to
 
provide for life safety issues first.  And BTW, an emergency action plan is
 
an OSHA requirement.  But they will not tell you how to write it.  You will
 
need to do that based on relevant risk assessments.  Next on the generator 

is usually some key critical equipment, followed by whatever else your 
system can handle and whatever else your facility decides needs EM power.  

Though employees want it, it is unrealistic to have the whole facility on 

emergency power.  A real important piece of your plan should be to have 
current "emergency phone contact" information listed for each 
lab/department.  "Current" meaning someone who still works there.  Someone 

that you can call at home, or on their cellphone, and they will answer.  
Then they can come in and deal with what can, and cannot, be shut down.  It
 
is really frustrating to be calling people at home and to get a recording 

that says "that number is no longer in service".   Your maintenance 
personnel will be far too busy during a power outage to be baby sitting lab
 
equipment.  Leave it up to the persons who own the machines.

Jay Skarda
Director of Safety & Security
National Jewish Health

-----Original Message-----
=46rom: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of 

Schmidt-Nebril, Kathleen
Sent: Thursday, July 08, 2010 6:35 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Emergency Action Plan for science labs

My university recently was hit with a four day power outage due to severe 

storms.  Our science building is recently new and has a back up generator 

however none of the main lab instruments or equipment were backed up to it.
 
Hoods, lights and ventilation were.  In the end we are looking at a huge 
insurance claim and are now trying to prepare  an action plan for each of 

our labs in the event we go through something like this again.  I am the CH
O
 for the department and was asked to put this together.  Does anyone know 

what OSHA standard, if any, I should be looking at for this=3F  They want t
o
 incorporate a "what to do" list for example if none of the scientists were
 
around someone from maintenance could follow it to turn off sensitive 
equipment in our absence.  My thought on that is would we need to train and
 
document  anyone who might have to respond and use our action list=3F   


Kathleen 

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