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AWARENESS AND PREPAREDNESS FOR EMERGENCIES ON A LOCAL LEVEL
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Introduction
Due to the incidence of a number of industrial accidents in both
highly industrialized and developing countries as well as serious
damages caused to the environment at the end of 1986; the United
Nations Environment Program (UNEP) decided to initiate a plan that
put concrete measures into effect helping governments and especially
developing countries to reduce the negative effects of accidents
and emergencies caused by chemical products. Consequently, although
it was believed that all industrial accidents could be prevented,
it was important to be realistic and prepare certain contingency
plans in case an accident of this nature occurred. This type of
preparation would lead to a better awareness of the local risks
and would help in taking preventative measures.
With this concern, the Industry unit at UNEP, with the cooperation
of the industries developed a guide about the awareness and preparedness
for emergencies at a local level (APELL). It is designed to help
authorities and technical personnel to keep the community informed
of dangerous facilities, regulations to deal with associated risks
within the community and the design of contingency plans in cases
where accidents may put lives, property and the environment at risk.
UNEP is aware of the fact that regulations already exist on both
a national and international level for the planning of natural disasters
and technological accidents, it is not the aim of the manual to
replace or interfere with these or with legal action. Its intention,
however, is to help increase the level of information and knowledge
about these regulations, both in terms of who is responsible and
what activities are involved.
In the first chapter the introduction, consequences, focus and scope
of the APELL process are presented. This manual is particularly
directed towards the local level as the latest evidence shows that
the impact of an accident depends to a large extent on the response
speed of an emergency, as much within the plant as in the surrounding
area. The APELL process also emphasizes the role of the states or
federal governments who should set out aims, priorities and regulations
to obtain the necessary support and resources for the local area.
This guide is designed to respond against any emergencies provoked
by FIRE, explosion, spills or emanations of hazardous materials
within any commercial or industrial operation. Nevertheless, it
doesn’t pretend to embrace problems associated with nuclear
emergencies or military activities.
The manual sets out basic guidelines for developing plans of action
based on community awareness with regards to potential dangers,
the preparation of an emergency plan on a local level and the establishment
of a general standard for a decision-making structure. Even though
the objectives always remain the same, the equipment used can be
flexible and the mechanisms operated can be adapted to the conditions
and specific requirements of each location.
The second chapter describes the main objectives and basic concepts
of the APELL process: The general objective is to prevent the loss
of human life and materials which could affect the environment and
the community. The two basic focal points are: 1) Increase awareness
in the community of possible risks and dangers that are in the area,
and 2) develop response plans in the event of an emergency.
On a local level, there are three very important parties needed
for the APELL process to be successful:
The local authorities: These could include the regional, district,
city or village leaders, whether they have been elected or not and
those responsible for security, public health and environmental
protection in the area.
Industries: The plant managers, whether a private or public, are
responsible for the security and prevention of accidents during
its operation, for the arrangement of specific preparation measures
in case of an emergency in the plant and for its supervision during
operation hours. Their responsibilities also go beyond the plant’s
boundaries. As people in charge of industrial growth and development,
they are in a strategic position for interacting with the authorities
and local leaders to inform people about how their industry works,
how it might effect the environment and also for helping to prepare
suitable responses for the community at the moment of an emergency.
The active participation of their employees is also important. Local
community groups and special interest groups such as ecologists,
health groups, information groups, religious leaders and the heads
of educational institutions and businesses should also express the
concerns and points of view of the locals that they represent.
On a national level, governments have an important role to provide
a spirit of cooperation and assistance so that local participants
can be better prepared. Through their management and support system,
the national authorities should encourage the cooperation of all
the local representatives. Industrial and other associations should
also take part. In brief, the APELL process is designed to bring
together and concentrate different efforts and initiatives to reduce
risks and dangers as well as their consequences.
The third chapter explains how to put the APELL process into effect.
The local authorities, community leaders and industrial representatives
should build a "bridge of cooperation" between all the
interested parties within the community. This should lead to the
formation of a "Co-ordinating Group" where the main focus
of the emergency response plan should be established as well as
a communication channel with the community. Its responsibilities
include gathering information and opinions, doing a risk evaluation,
establishing priorities and in general organizing the community
members as well as the available resources to create a response
plan in the event of a crisis.
All the key stakeholders should work as a catalyst to initiate the
APELL process and establish a Co-ordinating Group. Once this has
been done, a "leader" should be elected. The leader's
main responsibility will be to guide the group through the different
phases of the process that will be described in the following chapters.
The fourth chapter deals specifically with community awareness.
It primarily mentions the need and right of the local community
to be informed about risky facilities and to be involved at all
times during emergency planning.
It is perfectly reasonable to have a community awareness program.
People might consider it a threat to have an industrial plant so
close but the mystery surrounding it usually disappears once it
is known what is manufactured there, that it has a good emergency
plan and a good safety record.
It is impossible to describe all the activities required for a local
awareness program adapted to each facility or industrial complex
in each place. However, this manual does describe the necessary
action that can be taken by plant managers, the local authorities
and community leaders as individuals or within a Co-ordinating Group,
to improve local awareness. This fourth chapter also provides some
basic information and communication techniques.
The fifth and final chapter sketches out the process of planning
APELL to create a high standard of preparation for cases of emergency
in a local community. It describes the main points which should
be noted and suggests a ten point plan of action. It provides a
check list of factors necessary to complete each step, as well as
giving some industrial case studies. Eleven attachments are included
which contain guides and supplementary information.
What is the APELL process?
APELL, "Awareness and preparedness for emergencies
on a local level", is a program designed to:
• Inform the community of potential or existing hazards;
• Encourage the preparation of emergency response plans;
• Refine accident prevention.
APELL is an initiative of the Industry Division of the United Nations
Environment Program (UNEP), in cooperation with the Chemical Manufacturers'
Association (USA-CMA) and the European Council of the Chemical Industry
Federations (Conseil Européen des Fédérations
de l'industrie Chimique - CEFIC).
What are the objectives of APELL?
The main objective of the APELL process is to protect the community against human and material loss and avoid environmental damage.To achieve its objective, APELL proposes to:
- Educate the local people and those responsible for security about the dangers present in the area.
- Prepare an emergency response plan to efficiently manage accidents and prevent them from turning into catastrophes.
- Show the inhabitants of the community how to react in emergency situations..
What can be achieved with APELL?
The APELL process is principally a local
program whose development should be taken on by the community.
In communities that already have plans and resources to deal with
emergencies, APELL can assist by giving further information to the
people involved as well as revising and updating their programs.
For the communities that don’t dispose or have not completed
their emergency plans. APELL represents an efficient tool so that
anyone can initiate the plans preparations. APELL is an easy accessible
program for everyone that allows the interested people on the community,
to detect and evaluate the existing dangers in the local area as
well as to prepare the respective emergency plans.
¿Por
qué se creó el proceso APELL?
Everyday, industrial accidents occur whose effects have the potential to travel beyond the installations where they happen. In such cases, the accident can turn into a large scale catastrophe depending on the circumstances and the competence of those sent in to evaluate the risks and control the danger.
APELL has been designed with the purpose of informing communities about local hazards and preparing people to react efficiently in the case of incidents that could put people, property or the environment in danger.
In what way could APELL be used in your community?
Many of the local leaders and those responsible for industrial security are not aware of the dangers that chemical installations pose or of the industrial and commercial activities that exist in the vicinity of their communities. Local authorities may have an emergency plan that does not contemplate the real dangers in the area. Similarly, local industries can arrange emergency plans for accidents occurring inside their installations, without previously coordinating with people from the local authorities, in the event that the incident spreads outside.
APELL's goal is the development of a thorough emergency plan to protect the whole community.
How does the APELL process work?
The APELL process has been put together to strengthen the ability of the community to respond to emergency situations. The heads of industries, the government and community leaders are called upon to form a "Co-ordinating Group" whose responsibility consists of informing the community about existing dangers and preparing a plan capable of controlling emergency situations of natural or technological origin.
Who should participate in the APELL process?
Industrial leaders, local authorities and community leaders carry out a vital role in the APELL procedure. The national government, for its part, can help promote the participation of local "Co-ordinating Groups". A Co-ordinating Group should consist of representatives from:
- Industry
- Local Government
- The Police and Fire Department
- Rescue Services
- Hospitals and Health services
- Local Institutions
- Schools, Churches, Clubs
- The General Public
What should be done to start the APELL process?
1.
Inform members of the community about APELL, for example:
- Industry
- Local Authorities
- Community Leaders
2.
Have discussions with community leaders, attract their interest
and win their support in the improvement of the emergency plan through
the APELL process.
3.
Contact the Industry division of the UNEP at the following address:
Boulevard de los Virreyes 155,
Lomas de Virreyes,
CP 11000,
México, D.F., MÉXICO
Tels.: (+52 55) 5202-6394 y 5202-4841
Fax: (52 55) 5202-0950
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