Group Five Civil Engineering

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PROCEDURE

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND

RESPONSE
OPP 006

Name
Designation

Originated By
Juanita Rossouw
Snr Environmental Officer

Reviewed By
Jan du Toit
SHEQ Manager

Approved By
Andrew McJannet
Managing Director

Signature

Date

Copyright Group Five 2010. All Rights Reserved - This documentation is considered the intellectual property of Group
Five. Unauthorised reproduction or distribution of this documentation or any portion of it may result in severe civil and
criminal penalties, and violators will be prosecuted to the maximum extent possible under law.

Group Five Civil Engineering

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PROCEDURE
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

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Table of Contents
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8.
9
10

Purpose and Scope....................................................................................................................... 3

Objectives...................................................................................................................................... 3
Legislation and Standards.............................................................................................................3
Definitions, Acronyms and Abbreviations.......................................................................................3
Responsibilities.............................................................................................................................. 6
Emergency Preparedness.............................................................................................................9
Chemical Spill Response (Accidental Leaks and Spillages).........................................................11
Notification and Reporting of Environmental Incidents.................................................................16
Records....................................................................................................................................... 18
Attachments................................................................................................................................. 18

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

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1.

Purpose and Scope

The purpose of this document is to formulate a contingency plan to develop a state of readiness
which will allow for a prompt and orderly response in the event of an emergency or incident.
The contingency plan will be structured around three major objectives:

Understanding the type and extent of a potential emergency;

Establishing a high order of preparedness, and;
Ensuring an orderly and timely decision-making and response process.

Objectives
The object of the Emergency Response Procedure is to:
assist personnel in determining appropriate responses to environmental emergency situations;
provide personnel with an established procedure to minimize the consequences of
environment incidents.

Legislation and Standards

Constitution of South Africa Act (Act 108 of 1996)

National Environmental Management Act (Act107 of 1998)
Environmental Conservation Act (Act 73 of 1998)
National Water Act (Act 36 of 1998)
Hazardous Substances Act (Act 15 of 1993)
Protected species provincial ordinances
National Forests Act (Act 84 of 1998)
Conservation of Agricultural Resources Act (Act 43 of 1983)
National Environmental Management : Biodiversity Act (Act 10 of 2004)
National Veld and Forest Act (Act 101 of 1998)
National Environmental Management : Air Quality Act (Act 39 of 2004)
Atmospheric Pollution Prevention Act (Act 45 of 1965)
Occupational Health and Safety Act (Act 85 of 1993)

Other relevant International Guidelines and Professional Recommendation

OHSAS 18001: 2007

ISO 14001: 2004
MSP 005
MSP 006
MSP 009
OWI-017

Occupational health and safety Specifications

Environmental Management Systems - Requirements
Control of Non Conformances, Corrective and Preventive Action
Incident Reporting and Investigation
Business Continuity Plan
Pollution Prevention Plan

Definitions, Acronyms and Abbreviations

CCP
EMP

Contractor Management Plans

Environmental Management Plan

Group Five Civil Engineering

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PROCEDURE
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE
EERP
EERT
ERP
HSEP
PPE
EO
ECO

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Environmental Emergency Response Procedure

Environmental Emergency Response Team
Emergency Response Plan
Health, Safety and Environmental Protection
Personal Protection Equipment
Environmental Officer
Environmental Compliance Officer

Emergency Incident
Fire
Explosion involving flammable substances or electrical apparatus
Fatal or serious incident
Security breach resulting in person held captive or hostage.
Spillage of hazardous materials
Social unrest
Emergency Plans
Management plans established to direct actions of employees, stake holders and emergency
response teams.
Environmental emergency
An environmental emergency is any incident, or event resulting in or having the potential to
result in environmental damage.
Chemical spill
Potential liquid hydrocarbon or chemical spills or other releases which can create a hazard to
life or property or create environmental damage. Examples include liquid hydrocarbons,
compressor or other equipment lube oil, evaporative cooler acid water, liquid odorant, or other
substances that contain controlled or hazardous substances.
Fire
In the case of fire, set off the alarm and notify emergency services immediately.
Secure the scene and isolate the area allowing sufficient space for access by the emergency
services and escape routes in the event of an escalation of the incident.
Follow evacuation procedures.
Emergency Response Team
Emergency Co-ordinator
Safety Officer
Environmental Officer
First Aider
Fire Marshall
Level 1 Alert (Low incidents)
No lasting effect. Low level impacts on biological or physical environment.
Spills can be easily contained and cleaned by onsite crew.
Internal Small Spillages (1-10 L).
Level 2 Alert (Minor incidents)
Minor effects on biological or physical environment.
Minor short to medium term damage to small area of limited significance.
Cleaning of spill require, careful planning, but can be cleaned by once crew.
External beyond boundaries Small spillage (11 50 L)

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Level 3 Alert (Moderate incident)

Moderate effects on biological or physical environment but not affecting ecosystem function.
Moderate short medium term widespread impacts (e.g. oil spill causing impacts on shoreline).
Heavy machinery is involved in the cleaning operation. Works are temporarily impacted on by
spill. (External beyond boundaries - Significant Spillages (51-100L)
Level 4 (Major incident)
Serious environmental effects with impairment of ecosystem function. (e.g. displacement of
species) Relatively widespread medium-long term impacts. Works are ceased/ interrupted for
long period; external Hazmat team should be consulted. (External beyond boundaries Significant Spillages (101 1000L)
Level 5 (Critical incident)
Very serious environmental effects with impairment of ecosystem function. Long term,
widespread effects on significant environment (e.g. unique habitat National Park). Spill cant be
contained by on-site crew; specialist team is required, follow-up monitoring and/or specialist
studies required. (External beyond boundaries - Significant Spillages (>1000L)
Spill Incidents
Assess the risk by means of MSDS for the spilled substance before taking any action. Where
necessary call the emergency services immediately.
Secure the scene and isolate the area to ensure the safety of people and the environment.
Efforts to protect the environment must be weighed against the possibility of becoming part of
the problem.
The Emergency Co-ordinator must remain in command of the scene of the incident until the
arrival of emergency services at which time he passes on all relevant information to the person
in command.
Compile a brief written report as soon as possible thereafter while the facts are still fresh.
Evacuation
An evacuation may be ordered when any hazard (e.g. fire, gas leak, hazardous substance spill,
toxic fumes or bomb threat) exists which may endanger the building or its occupants.
Evacuation must be done according to a locally devised plan (site specific) which must take
environmental hazards into account.
Evacuation to be initiated by an alarm and done in accordance with Occupational Health and
safety guide-lines
Hazard Communication
Employees have a right to know and be informed regarding the chemical and other hazards
that they and the environment are exposed to under normal conditions of use or in a
foreseeable emergency.
Information and inventories of hazardous chemicals, including Material Safety Data Sheets must
be available at all times where they are used.
Employees using these products shall be trained in the specific handling precautions of
substances used for their work.
Induction programs for new employees must include relevant information described here.
Ensure through the use of appropriate and visible signs that employees not normally assigned
to the work area are aware of the hazards to which these areas are subject.
Report all working conditions which may put the environment at risk.

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Responsibilities
Every appointed responsible persons is to ensure competent persons are appointed to establish
and maintain the recovery planning process
Where an incident occurs, personnel at the scene shall render assistance to limit further
damage.
There must be minimum delay in calling emergency services.
The Emergency Co-ordinator must judge how much information to obtain before emergency
services are called and further provide information on an ongoing basis, as it becomes
available.

5.1

Contracts Manager / Site Agent / Construction Manager

Upon notification that an emergency has occurred, the Senior Manager shall assume full
responsibility to command the emergency operation including the following tasks:
Notify Client On-Site Employee or Representative in the event of a Level 4 and/or 5
incidents.
Assess the situation and determine the following information:

Emergency Codes/Level of Alert

Capability of on-scene personnel to control the incident
Environmental damage
Potential hazards
External support services required

Activate Emergency Response Procedures and Emergency Response Team.

Secure emergency site to prevent further injuries or damage.
Coordinate On-Site emergency activities and implement control procedures.
Liaise with the On-Site Employer representative.

5.2

Supervisor / Foreman
The Supervisor / Foreman shall then respond promptly to the emergency and in
particular inform the Site Environment Officer (Level 1 and 2 Alerts) and the Senior
Manager (Level 4 and 5 alerts only) and provide details of the situation.

5.3

First Responder

Personnel at the incident site shall immediately inform their Supervisor /

Environmental / Safety Officer / Emergency Co-ordinator in case of occurrence of an
incident.
In the case of an environmental incident, the first responder is to undertake
immediate containment after having ensured for themselves that this early response
does not comprise any Safety hazards for them.

Do not approach a hazardous condition alone or without the proper Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE).
If necessary, await the arrival of additional personnel and equipment.

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5.4

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Remain calm, take actions to reduce the effects of the potential emergency
If the person discovers a fire and has been trained to use a fire extinguisher they
may attempt to extinguish the fire. This should not be attempted alone notify a
colleague to assist.
Where electrical equipment is involved, switch off power supply, if this can be done
safely.
If there is an injury or medical emergency then inform the First Aider
If the injury is of a serious nature the casualty must not be move except where there
is a possibility of further injury and this should only be done by the First Aider.
Do not remove any objects involved in the incident.
Take note of the time and circumstances of accident.
After reporting the incident and if the situation requires then move out of the building
to the assembly point.
Do not congregate at the scene of the emergency unless directly involved in the
emergency
No information may be given out to the press, next of kin or any other person, other
than through the designated Group Five Civil Engineering appointed person.

Emergency Co-ordinator
In the event of a serious incident where intervention is required by the Emergency
Response Team the Emergency Co-ordinator assumes overall control to ensure actions
are coordinated to reduce the effects of the emergency.
The Emergency Co-ordinator is responsible to communicate with external and internal
emergency teams ensuring that clear status reports are available on the situation;

type of incident,
location of incident,
possible number of injuries and types
Evacuation status

After notification of a possible emergency the Emergency Co-ordinator will

Evacuate premises if deemed necessary.

Co-ordinate evacuation activities collect and collate Assembly point attendance
registers, communicate with Emergency Response Team on status of missing
persons
Should the emergency involve a hostage or captive situation or where weapons are
involved an immediate evacuation must be ordered of the area. No person may
negotiate or attempt to attack the perpetrator.
Notify the required external emergency response teams.
If injuries are reported direct First Aiders to the locations where needed.
Ensure that records of all casualties are available and passed on to the Human
Resources Representative. Names of the casualties may not be released to any
source until their next of kin have been notified.
Liaise with Appointed Management Representative to provide details of the nature of
the emergency and casualties.

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

5.5

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The Emergency Co-ordinator is not responsible for releasing any information to the
public or media, he may merely confirm an incident has occurred and that a
statement will be issued by an appointed Group Five Civil Engineer representative.
When an emergency has stabilised the Emergency Co-ordinator may on the advice
of the Emergency Response Team declare the all clear.
If employees are allowed back into the building the Emergency Co-ordinator will
coordinate this with the Emergency Response Team.
Should a full evacuation away from the building be required then the Emergency Coordinator will coordinate this with the Emergency Response Team.
Where the emergency results in permanent damage to the buildings the Emergency
Co-ordinator will along with the manager notify employees of further action to be
taken.
The Emergency Co-ordinator is responsible to ensure the emergency plan is
reviewed from time to time to ensure actions remain current

First Aider
Only trained persons with a valid first aid certificate may be appointed as a First Aid team
member.
The First Aider may be notified of an incident by;

The injured person or a colleagues

The Emergency Co-ordinator or senior manager

On notification of an emergency the First Aider will respond by:

If the injured person comes to the First Aider then an assessment of the injury
should be made.
Minor injuries must be treated and a record kept.
Serious injuries must be treated as best as possible and external assistance must
be called for.
Remain with injured until help arrives.

In the advent of serious injuries where external emergency care is required the First Aider
may be required to provide first response assistance until the paramedics arrive.

5.6

The First Aider proceeds to the scene of incident with their first aid kit.
An assessment of the situation is made to ensure the First Aider is not endangered
before attempting to render first aid assistance.
Where possible the First Aider remains with the injured and then hands over the
injured to the emergency response team.
If casualty evacuation is required the First Aider will assist in establishing and
recording as many facts about the incident as possible.
In the event of a fatal accident, care must be taken not to disturb any objects
involved before the arrival of an inspector such action may only be taken to
prevent further accidents or to rescue persons from danger.

Head Office Environmental Manager

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Responsible for ensuring that incidents involving work under their control, are being
notified through the correct channels.
Complete the notification form (within 24 hours) and ensure that preliminary details are
entered into the incident/accident register.
Ensure that the location/incident response plan is communicated to personnel under
their control and is being followed.

5.7

Site Environmental Officer

In case of hazardous product spill to water resources or exceeding 51 L to land (Level 3
Alert), immediate verbal notification shall be made to Senior Manager.
Responsible to notify the Client Representative and the Client Environmental Manager of
the incident.

5.8

All Employees
Report any incident irrespective of severity to their immediate supervisor within the same
shift.

Emergency Preparedness
6.1

Emergency Planning
The objective of the SHE management system is the Implementation of suitable controls
related to proactively identifying hazards, risks and the available controls that aim to
reduce the effect of that hazard or risk to as low as reasonably practical.
In the event of an unplanned event occurring, effective contingency plans must be in
place to deal with the situation to protect the employees and public from the affects of
the emergency situation, remove injured persons from the scene and to enable safe
operations to resume as soon, as is practical.
The probable events must be determined through the hazard identification and risk
assessment process, once established then the emergency plan is drafted to include;

6.2

Possible effects to Safety, Health, Environment

Resources available to combat emergency situation, both internal and external,
Appoint management representative to coordinate plans.
Train and appoint emergency response members
Integrate with clients, local community and neighbours emergency plans.
Document the plan and circulate to all
Perform regular exercises to evaluate effectiveness of the emergency plans.
Perform annual reviews and update plans as required.

Definition of an Emergency Response Network

Additionally, at the start of construction activities, a list of contact numbers specific for
the Site will be provided to each Supervisor to reinforce efficiency of the Emergency
Response process and de-multiply its capacity of intervention.

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This list will provide each Supervisor with the names and numbers of relevant personnel
of the Emergency Response Team to be contacted.

6.3

Preparation of Chemical Spill Response Materials and Equipment

All oil, fuel and chemical storage, refuelling areas and vehicle maintenance/plant areas
will include an adequate supply of spill containment materials.
A spill kit will also be carried on every refuelling/maintenance/environment vehicle.
These kits will contain absorbent pads, booms, bags and ties.
Spill kits will be placed at sufficient proximity in accordance with the degree of risk for
spillage, and a responsible person will be designated for each.
Additionally, each main construction crew as well as the Plant, Refuelling and the
Emergency Response Team, will be provided with adequate oil spill response
equipment.
At the start of construction activities, the list of designated persons responsible for a spill
kit and corresponding crew will be prepared and communicated.
Further details on pollution prevention measures (e.g. secondary containments,
refuelling & maintenance procedures, etc.) are provided in the Pollution Prevention
Management Plan, and the Hazardous Chemicals Management Plan.

6.4

Training of Personnel involved in the Emergency Rsponse

6.4.1 Induction Training
All personnel working on the construction site will be made aware of the
requirements of this procedure at site induction courses.
6.4.2 Specific Training
Specific training will be given as required to those staff with responsibilities
associated with Emergency Response:

training will be provided to personnel involved in the handling and or storage

of hazardous materials (this includes refuelling operators);
training will be provided regarding identification of contaminated land in
coordination with Safety Department to the relevant personnel;
refresher courses will be undertaken on a quarterly basis during the course
of the contract
proof of attendance and a signed attendance register for each session will be
provided.
training in spill containment/clearance techniques will be given to staff
involved with emergency response (Emergency Response team)

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

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6.4.3 On-Site Training (Toolbox Talks)

Toolbox talks for each crew will be undertaken during the project especially an
emergency situation to assess the cause and preparedness.

6.5

Emergency Response
Periodic testing of the emergency response arrangements will be undertaken
and the lessons learned identified (as following an actual incident) and
improvements implemented. Training will include a Chemical Spill Response
course for key personnel.
Due to the nature of the operations full practise drills may not be possible.
The Emergency Co-ordinator will be required to schedule a planned walk out.
All personnel will be walked along their evacuation route to the assembly point
Emergency Drills shall be conducted twice a year.
The drill shall enable to review and evaluate the efficiency of the response
system, and review as necessary the Emergency Response Procedure.
The Emergency Drill will be conducted to accomplish the following objectives:

as a training mechanism to familiarize personnel with their duties and

responsibilities in terms of environmental incidents;
to evaluate the preparedness of each party involved in the procedure , including
regulatory agencies and support services if applicable;
to test the initial communications sequence and reporting procedures;
to verify that contact numbers are correct;
to examine the interaction between the individuals and groups named in this
procedure and to address identifiable shortfalls in the established lines of
communication;
to improve the Procedure itself and its efficiency.

Training of the Emergency Response Team will be ensured through providing frequent
support to the construction crews on site for addressing the management of spills of
moderate size.
This will be used as a practice to increase the efficiency and rapidity of response of the
Team.

Chemical Spill Response (Accidental Leaks and Spillages)

When a liquid spill (e.g., liquid hydrocarbons, fuel and oils, etc.) is identified, personnel at the
incident site shall immediately inform the Engineer/Foreman, Environmental Officer and/or
Environmental Manager.
The necessary materials and equipment for dealing with spills and leaks will be available on site
at all times.

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

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In the event of a spill, the source of the spillage will be isolated and the spillage will be
contained.
Spill kits will be maintained on site at all times and ensure adequate supply of absorbent
material to absorb/break down and designed to encapsulate minor hydrocarbon liquid spillage.
The quantity of material available on site should be able to handle a 200 L hydrocarbon liquid
spill.
The Supervisor in charge of the crew where the environment incident occurred shall
immediately:

assess the incident site and verify that the safety of all personnel is ensured;
confirm and control the nature and source of the spill as quickly as possible;
determine the quantity/volume of the spill and the location of the impacted area(s);
evaluate if the spill can be contained and cleaned-up by his crew of if the mobilization of the
Environmental Emergency Response Team is necessary;
communicate all details to the Site Environment Manager and Construction Manager who
will assess the level of seriousness of the situation and decide of the appropriate degree of
intervention required;
undertake immediate containment and recovery actions as an early response in coordination
with Environment Department, even until arrival of the Emergency Response team.

The Construction Manager and the Site Environment Management shall:

evaluate the degree of seriousness of the Incident (level 3,4 or 5);

mobilize the Emergency Response Team if necessary, according to the assessment made of
the situation;
liaise with Employer and Contractor Project management

The Chemical spill response is summarized as follows:

STOP
ASSESS
CONTAIN
COMMUNICATE
RECOVER
DISPOSE
REPORT

the Spill at source.

the nature, size and Safety hazards of the spill
by using granules, spill kits, or inert material such as sand,
earth, digging trenches etc.
all details to the Site Environment Manager and the
Construction Manager to determine the Level of incident
(Level 1 or 2)
by using absorbent pads, booms or skimmers. Bag all
contaminated materials.
by taking contaminated material back to the yard and
depositing in the appropriate container.
the incident using dedicated reporting forms depending on the
level of the incident and liaising with relevant parties

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EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

7.1

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Assessment of Incident and Account for Personnel Safety

7.1.1 Safety Assessment
The Supervisor in charge of the activities carried out in the area where the
incident has been identified must be immediately informed about the incident to
the members of his crew.
Once informed about the incident, the Supervisor shall:
determine whether any personnel are injured;
assess the situation to determine whether it is safe to proceed with control
or response operations.
If any personnel are found injured the Supervisor shall:
immediately notify the Emergency Response Team;
determine if the access to the site is safe for the emergency medical
and other response personnel.

team

7.1.2 Environmental Assessment

As quickly as possible, the Supervisor/Environmental Manager shall attempt to
determine the nature and extent of the spill and the location(s) of the impacted
area(s).
The nature of the spill shall be identified and corresponding MSDS strictly
followed.
Based on this information, the Supervisor shall contact the Construction manager
and the Site Environment Manager and provide all details for them to evaluate
the level of intervention required:
Level 1 to 3 (Spill between 1 100L) Spill treated by the crew itself;
Level 4 and 5 (between 101L and over 1000L) Mobilization of the
Emergency Response Team;
Level 5 (spill to land > 1000 L or any spill to water resources that cannot be
handled by Contractors intervention crews and means) serious
incident
requiring in all cases the intervention of an external support. The
level of the incident is then evaluated depending on the extent of potential
ecological, human consequences and impacts on the Project Activities:
human consequences and impacts on the Project Activities:
Note: In case of doubt whether a certain condition is considered an emergency, immediately
notify the Site Environment Manager, who will assess the seriousness of the situation and
decide whether further reporting or action is required.

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7.2

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ontainment and Recover in case of Spill to Land Level 1 and 2 Alert

In the event of a spill, the first priority is to contain immediately the movement of the
spilled products that may cause contamination of groundwater, surface water or land.
If the spill is assessed as small and can be contained and treated using the resources
available for the crew, the following shall be implemented:

7.3

immediately prevent further spillage at source even if only temporary e.g. drip tray or
bucket;
contain the spill using absorbent booms, sandbags or any other material to constitute
a barrier;
cover the spill with absorbent material to prevent it spreading and clean it up;
advise the Site Environment Manager of the incident and actions taken;
Dispose of the used absorbent materials and contaminated soil as Hazardous Waste,
as per Waste Management Requirements and in coordination with the Environment
Department, and;
Record incident in daily report and environmental incident register.

Containment and Recover in case of Spill to Land between 51L or 101L or

any Spill to Water Resources Level 3 Alert
In the event of a spill, the first priority is to contain immediately the movement of the
spilled products that may cause contamination of groundwater, surface water or land.
7.3.1 First Intervention

immediately prevent further spillage at source;

ensure the Emergency Response Team is called to assist with clean up;
inform the Construction Manager and the Site Environment Manager.
contain the spill i.e. prevent the spillage from spreading by enclosing with a
bund made with sand, subsoil or absorbent materials;
protect any sensitive receptors (drains, wells, rivers.);
if the spill has entered drains if possible block the drain further down the line
by stuffing with absorbent pillows;
if the spill has entered a watercourse if possible dam or put an absorbent
boom across if further down stream. To dam the watercourse use sandbags,
earth or a horizontal wooden plank;
inform the Engineer and relevant Authorities.
use absorbent materials to soak up the spill as much as possible until arrival
of the Emergency Response Team.
Under no circumstances treat spills with chemical agents
Always follow MSDS instructions

7.3.2 Intervention of the Environmental Response Team

During the intervention of the Emergency Response team, the following shall be
implemented:

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7.4

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reinforce containment of spill if required, using additional absorbent booms

and materials;
implement recovery operations on land or water of spilled products as rapidly
as possible with a minimum impact on the affected areas;
recovery will be carried out, if needed, by vacuum devices, pumps, heavy
equipment, and/or manually;
recovery equipment should be positioned where it can directly remove
standing liquid from behind a blocked dam, or interception barrier;
liquid shall be pumped into a storage tank, storage container, or into a
containment pit, depending on the size once gross contamination has been
removed through recovery operations;
contaminated ground shall be collected, stored and either treated or
disposed of off-site.

Containment and Recover in case of Spill to Land between 10L or over a

1000L or any Spill to Water Resources Level 4 and 5 Alert
Handle the same as in Section 7.3. However, if the spill cannot be handled by the
contractor, the necessary Emergency Response Team should be notified to assist.

7.5

Disposal of Recovered Contaminated Material

Recovered product and oily/other debris must be handled, stored, and disposed of as
per requirements of the Waste Management Plan and Pollution Prevention Plan:

segregation from other type of waste (even hazardous waste);

storage in a concrete hard standing, bunded area;
recording of quantities of contaminated material recovered (volume);
final disposal.

Refer to the Waste Management Plan and Pollution Prevention Plan for further details on
requirements associated with these steps.

7.6

Prevention
7.6.1 Hazard Avoidance
Offices, aisles, passages and on site thoroughfares must be kept clear of
obstructions. Permanent aisles and passageways should be appropriately
marked.
The area around exits shall be maintained so that they are unobstructed and
accessible at all times
7.6.2 Fire Protection
Portable fire extinguishers suitable to each areas conditions and hazards shall be
provided and in a ready to use condition.
They should be conspicuously located and mounted so as to be readily
accessible.

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Fire extinguisher training to be provided to designated fire marshals

7.6.3 Environmental Inspection
Site inspection to include observation and reporting on site-specific aspects
relating to this guide-line.
7.6.4 Evacuation
Appropriate evacuation procedures and a program of periodic drill shall be drawn
up and maintained.

Notification and Reporting of Environmental Incidents

8.1

Emergency Protocols
A list of emergency contact numbers will be produced and distributed to Project
Personnel, for both Safety and Environment emergencies.

8.2

Incident Notification and Reporting

8.2.1 Reporting Boundaries
Boundaries are defined for notification and reporting of incidents.
These relate to the Premises/Worksite, Activities and Persons Affected.
Incidents and accidents occurring within the following boundaries, as described in
the sections below shall be reported.
8.2.2 Reporting Requirements in case of Alert Level 1 and 2
In case of Level 1 and 2 Alert (Low and Minor Incident) the following actions will
be taken by the various parties:

Site personal will notify the EO of the Incident;

Level 1 and 2 incident will be captured on an Environmental Incident register
and daily report.
Incident Register with Level 1 and 2 incidents will be sent to Client and the
ECO on a weekly basis.

8.2.3 Reporting Requirements in case of Alert Level 2 and Level 3

In case of Level 3 (Moderate), 4 (Major) and 5 (Critical) Alert

Site Personal will notify the Environmental Officer of the incident.

The EO should immediately notify the ECO.
An official incident notification report will be issued to the ECO and
Environmental Manager. The Environmental Manager will in turn notify
Client and the independent Environmental Auditor.

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If the major incident falls within the definition of Section 30 of NEMA, then the
procedure contained within NEMA will apply. It will be the responsibility of
the EO to notify the ECO and Environmental Manager of such incident. The
Environmental manager will then be responsible to complete the
Environmental Incident Report as per NEMA.
If the incident does not fall under Section 30 of NEMA, the Independent
Environmental Auditor will notify the relevant authorities, based on his/her
knowledge.
A root case analysis will be undertaken with the assistance from the
Contracts manager and a final incident report will be completed. The Incident
Report will be submitted to the Client and independent auditor within 5
working days of the receipt of the incident notification report.
All Significant and Major incidents will be captured on the Environmental
Incident register. This register will be distributed to the Client and
independent Environmental Auditor on a monthly basis.

Failure to Report Environmental Incidents

In the event that it is discovered that an environmental incident of any magnitude has not
been reported to the EO or ECO the following actions must be taken:
The person which has discovered the incident should notify the EO immediately;
The EO should investigate the incident and should send a notification of the nonreported incident to the Environmental Manager. The Environmental Manager should
in turn notify the Client and Independent Environmental Auditor.
The Environmental Manager should assess the severity of the incident and depending
on the severity, a CAR report should be completed or the environmental incident
should be noted in the Environmental register.

8.4

The Corrective Action Request Report (CAR)

A Corrective Action Report (CAR) is filed when an incident (Level 2 and higher)
happened and corrective actions should be put in place to eliminate the cause of the
incident and the possibility of the incident re-occurring.
All CAR will be logged on the Environmental Incident register which will be distributed to
the Environmental Manager, Client and Independent Environmental Officer.

8.5

Statutory Reports
In case the situation requires it, written reports required by
regulatory/government agencies shall be completed by the Environment
Officer and sent to the Head-office Environment Manager for further
submission to the appropriate authorities, and as per requirements of
Contractor and Employer external communication procedures.
Statutory reports are privileged information and shall be completed with care,
reporting only the facts in writing, giving no suggestion or opinion as to the
cause of the incident.
Copies of all incidents or emergency reports regardless of origin shall be
maintained in the project file.

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MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PROCEDURE
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

8.6

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Register of Environmental Incident Reports

A separate register of Environment Incidents will be maintained by the
Environment Officer.

Records
OPF-006-01
OPF-006-02
OPF-006-03
OPF-006-04
OPF-006-05
MPF-005-05

10

Environmental Incident Notification Report

Environmental Incident Investigation Report
Environmental Incident Register
Emergency Planning Checklist
Evacuation Simulation Report
Corrective Action Request

Attachments
Annexure A Environmental Emergency Contact Directory
Annexure B Instructions on filling out the Corrective Action Request Form

Annexure A to OPP 006

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

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Environmental Emergency Contact Directory

Alert Level 2 or more (large spill) - Key Contact Personnel

Environmental Emergency Response Team (temporary numbers until constitution of the Emergency
Response Team)
Organization

Location

First Name Name

Position

Phone number

Position

Phone number

Alert Level 3 (small spill) Key Contact Personnel

Organization

Location

First Name Name

Annexure B to OPP 006

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

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Instructions on filing out the CAR form

Instructions on filling out a Corrective / Improvement Action Request Form:
1. Determine the problem to be addressed and determine if the issue validates a Corrective Action
(CAR) to be completed.
2. Once the decision of the above has been made, complete the Reason for Corrective Action
section. Enter the information as complete as possible, including Names, Dates, Times etc. Attach
copies of documents as proof.
3. If an analysis of the root cause is available (i.e. lack of maintenance that caused equipment to leak
oil/diesel), enter this information in the Analysis section of the document.
4. If the document is given to an specific person (Contract Manager), enter the name of the person in the
area marked Action to be taken by:.
5. If an agreed date of completion is negotiated with the above mentioned person, enter the agreed date
of completion in the Target Date area and request signature for acceptance and approval.
6. A copy should be given to the person mentioned in Point 6, and the original must be send to the
Environmental Manager. The Environmental Manager should assign a CAR number and record the
CAR on the Environmental Incident Register.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------7. On receiving the issued CAR, the Contractors Agent and/or Manager must ensure that the correction
is performed timeously and enter the actions taken in the area marked Corrective Action Taken.
8. If the actions have been taken by another department/subcontractor, they should complete the section
as above and the Contracts manager/Environmental manager should then sign off in the Action
Verified by section.
9. The Contract agent and/or the environmental manager may choose to enter comments in the
Comments by contractor section.
10. The completed CAR is should then be returned to the client and environmental manager for
verification of the actions taken and the closing out of the CAR should be performed by the
Environmental manager.
11. A copy of the signed off CAR is then distributed to the relevant parties.
12. The Environmental manager is responsible to keep a database of all CARs issued, completed or in
process.