EPCRA 42 USC §10003(c)(2) reads:
Methods and procedures to be followed by facility owners and local
emergency and medical personnel to respond to any release of such
substances
[EHS].
The LEPC is working to obtain agency and facility-specific information on emergency response procedures.
EHS facilities in DeKalb County are regulated by the US Department of Labor's Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). These facilities are required to plan for chemical emergency response under OSHA's Hazard Communication (HazCom) standard (CFR 1910.120). for facilities handling hazardous materials.
The HazCom standard requires that facility workers are trained in the safe handling of hazardous substances. It also requires facilities to have adequate response procedures in the event of a release. Each hazardous material in their facility must be properly labeled, and there must be an MSDS for it. See Section 6 of this CERP for additional information regarding each facility's OSHA requirements.
The LEPC will continue to obtain facility-specific information and update our files and this plan regularly.
The Illinois Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) provides coordination for mutual aid for Illinois Fire Departments. This includes hazardous material incident response coordination.
Kishwaukee Community Hospital in DeKalb County has adopted emergency response procedures from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) guidelines. It is also working on a statewide mutual aid and response plan.
JCAHO requires all accredited hospitals to be able to perform decontamination for contaminated patients. Many hospitals are choosing to install more sophisticated decontamination equipment. Many hospitals are also working on providing adequate Mass Decontamination facilities in the event of a serious chemical release.
The Illinois Poison Center (IPC) has agreed to provide CAMEO chemical inventory data to any hospital in the state via their Poison Control hotline. This will give area hospitals access to the EHS Facility chemical inventories without having to train hospital staff in the program.
In addition, hospitals are also required to handle small industrial spills within their facility. Hospitals can either perform the cleanup themselves, or contract with an independent firm.
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