Arrangements for Emergency Preparedness

Whenever personnel are handling hazardous waste, they must have access to an internal alarm or emergency communication device to summon local emergency response. Generators are required to make arrangements with or, at a minimum, attempt to make arrangements with, local emergency response organizations, including police departments, fire departments, emergency response teams, equipment suppliers, and local hospitals. This coordination includes the following measures:

• Determining the potential need for the services of the local police department, other emergency response teams, equipment suppliers, and local hospitals
• Familiarizing police, fire, and rescue teams with the layout of the facility, the properties of the waste being handled and associated hazards, normal work areas, entrances and roads into the facility, and possible evacuation routes; and the types of injuries or illnesses that could result from fires, explosions, or releases at the facility
• If multiple response teams might respond, establishing who is primary response team and what other teams provide support to the primary response team

Generators must maintain records that document the arrangements they have made with any organizations necessary to respond to an emergency. This documentation, stored in the operating record, must either confirm either that such arrangements currently exist or that the generator attempted to make such arrangements. Large facilities with internal response capabilities may seek a waiver from entering into arrangements with local authorities. If the facility obtained such a waiver, a copy of the waiver should be included in the operating record.

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