example, breaks response operations into 11 phases. For purposes of this section, however,
discussion will be limited to the discovery, notification, containment, collection, and recovery
phases.
2. In the discovery phase, the behavior of the individual discovering the emergency is an
important factor in determining the most appropriate level of response. The employee first
becoming aware of the actual or suspected emergency shares, in a large measure, the
responsibility for the correctness of the initial response. The credibility of their assessment will
be directly related to their experience and the quality of training provided by the command. The
ISCP should clearly delineate the responsibilities assigned to the individual that first discovers
the emergency situation. That individual, if not injured, may simply be required to report the
situation to their immediate supervisor or a designated emergency response center. The
employee may, on the other hand, be responsible for making a tentative assessment of who and
what is at risk prior to any notification. Whether the discovering employee notifies the
HAZMAT team directly or notifies their supervisor must be determined by planners based on
their evaluation of all pertinent factors. The important consideration is that the ISCP clearly
outlines both circumstances and responsibilities for notification, scope of initial assessment,
activation of alarms, rescue of injured personnel, etc. Specific requirements must be defined for
both normal working hours and emergency incidents that may occur outside normal working
hours.
3. In the notification phase, one of the primary requirements is that the immediate supervisor
be informed of the incident as soon as possible. If the emergency incident occurs during normal
working hours, the supervisor's assessment of the situation may determine the sequence and
scope of response actions. If the ISCP does not specify immediate activation of a HAZMAT
team, it should be the supervisor's responsibility to determine the presence of poisonous,
flammable, or corrosive materials; the structural integrity of containers; and the behavior of
personnel. It is in this phase that the ISCP should clearly define requirements for notifying
higher headquarters, Federal agencies, and LEPCs if the accident is determined to pose a risk to
members of the local community outside facility boundaries.
4. The containment phase should address controlling the immediate spread of the material.
For purposes of this publication, containment is defined as the employment of fixed resources
and deployment of temporary resources to stop and prevent, after accidental release from their
primary storage locations or containers, the further discharge of the hazardous material into the
external environment where contamination of ground, water, or atmosphere may occur. During
this phase, the first priority must be to stop the further discharge of the solid, liquid, or gaseous
material involved. The ISCP or locally developed SOPs should outline procedures for
containment, including shutting off the source, predicting movement, contacting representatives
of the manufacturer, etc. Types of equipment and materials to be used should also be clearly
specified.
5. During the collection or cleanup phase, hazardous materials are removed from the spill area
using approved techniques. It should be noted that, for spills or releases occurring at a facility,
the facility is, by law, responsible for cleaning up the spill. Whether the facility elects to clean up
the material using its resources or by calling in a commercial firm, the facility remains fully
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