5.3 Emergency Procedures
Emergencies can include both fire and non-fire emergencies. Fires are an "expected" emergency in all lab situations and almost all lab staff are trained on emergency steps in the event of a fire. “Non-fire” emergencies can include:
- Loss of electricity, heat, AC, water or other essential utilities.
- Failure of mechanical equipment such as HVAC systems and emergency generators.
- Flooding, tornadoes, earthquakes, or other natural disasters.
- Nearby chemical releases of hazardous materials to the environment (from the lab down the hall or a ruptured tank car one-half mile away).
- Terrorist actions or civil unrest.