Safety overarches your facility when you glove-up, wash your hands, carefully practice sharps disposal, and use the well-lit parking lot on the night shift. In a crisis event, your climate controlled wing may become a dark hardhat area. Maybe windows are blowing out, wires are arcing, gas is leaking, and water is pouring in. You could be in an active shooter lockdown on a very bad day.
The Safety Officer has a critical function because of the potential threats just mentioned; safety must be incorporated into the Incident Action Plan. Further, the Safety Officer coordinates with Logistics when personal protective equipment has to be ordered. In addition, safety specialists or consultants may be needed.
Key Point – The Safety Officer has the authority to suspend plans or operations that could potentially injure or kill people.
The Safety Officer has to be everywhere at once, but that’s only possible in a perfect world. The Safety Officer is a roaming position to ensure situational awareness in all sectors. A brief summary of Safety Officer duties is:
- Ensure safety is a component in the Incident Action Plan
- Maintain communications with Command and Operations
- Immediately address safety problems or suspend unsafe operations
- Coordinate safety procedures with first responders and contractors
- Establish hard hat areas and chemical/biological hot zones
- Assemble a Safety Team for wide-scale incidents
- Initiate environmental monitoring
- Specify appropriate personal protective equipment
- Control entry to restricted areas
Key Takeaway:
Everyone must come home whole. Safety is an essential component of planning and operations that frames all crisis incident activities.
