General Direction and Control

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General Direction and Control

When working on an oil company's lease, their emergency action plan will take precedence over this one where applicable and available.  The following are general guidelines to ensure that initial response and contacts are made.  Each emergency situation may require different / unique responses; proceed accordingly.  You may not need to activate all 7 steps below.  It will depend on what the emergency or incident is.  EG: a personal injury may only require steps 3 - 7, while an H2S gas leak may require all seven steps.

1.Evacuate:  If an alarm goes off on site or there is an H2S leak, evacuate all personnel to a safe location.  If you are unsure of the emergency, assume there could be an H2S leak, and move upwind of any possible H2S movement and try to select higher ground.

2.Alarm:  If the work area is unsafe, or there is an H2S leak, and the alarm has not already been activated, call to all personnel in the area "Danger!  Get Out."  If there is an H2S leak, you may call "GAS! GAS! GAS!" three times.  If you are able, activate the site alarm.

3.Assess:  Once an alarm has activated and you are evacuated to a safe location, stop and think before attempting any rescue or accessing the victim to perform first aid.  Ensure you have identified all hazards, controlled them, and determined any resources you may need to respond to the incident.  Consider H2S concentrations, critical hazards such as fire and explosion, number of rescuers or first aid attendants available.  Is there rescue equipment on site if needed?  Is there an H2S gas leak and has it been controlled?

4.Protect:  Before performing any rescue or giving first aid, you MUST protect yourself.  Make sure all hazards have been controlled, including any H2S gas leaks.  Wear all required PPE such as hard hat, steel toed boots, gloves, and fire retardant clothing.  If H2s gas is suspected, ensure you have your H2S monitor and use an SCBA until you are sure the gas is clear.  

5.Rescue:  If H2S gas is suspected in an incident, you must wear SCBA and ensure the gas level is low enough to perform a rescue.  If gas is higher than 500 PPM, the area must be ventilated before a rescue attempt can be made.  No rescue shall be attempted unless H2S gas volume is less than 500 PPM!  If the injured person must be moved, use a collar drag, two arm drag, two person rescue drag, or two person rescue carry, dependent upon how many rescuers are on site, and size of the victim.

6.First Aid:  Once the area has been assessed and the victim is clear of any danger, you may need to perform first aid.  If H2S gas is suspected, before you remove your SCBA, open the coveralls or clothing to release any gas that may be trapped there.  Follow first aid ABC training and assess the casualty.  Determine what first aid is required and perform it.  Ensure medical has been called if required.

7.Medical Aid:  When calling medical aid, make sure you have all information available prior to making the call.  You may need to provide directions to your work site, what type of incident has occurred, including how many casualties there are, where they are located, what has been done to assist them, has the area been made safe.

 

MEDICAL EMERGENCIES, LIFE AND INJURY PREVENTION ARE THE FIRST PRIORITY

DO NOT ENDANGER YOURSELF OR ANY OTHER PERSON WHEN FULFILLING THESE RESPONSIBILITIES.