PROTECTIVE ACTIONS AND REENTRY

Protective Actions

• Promptly and effectively implemented or recommended for implementation to minimize the consequences of emergencies and to protect the health and safety of the workers and the public

• Implemented individually or in combination to reduce exposures to

a wide variety of hazardous materials • Reassessed throughout an emergency and modified as conditions

change

Protective Actions (cont.)

Protective Actions for onsite personnel and the public should include

• Methods for controlling, monitoring, and maintaining records of personnel exposures to hazardous materials (radiological and non-radiological)

• Procedures to implement separate protective actions of sheltering

and/or evacuation of workers

• Methods for controlling access to contaminated areas and for decontaminating personnel or equipment exiting the area

Protective Actions (cont.)

May involve

• Steps to be taken to increase the effectiveness of protective actions (e.g., heating, ventilation, and air conditioning shutdown during sheltering)

• Methods for providing timely protective action recommendations to

appropriate offsite agencies (e.g., sheltering, evacuation, relocation, and food control)

• Protective Action Guidelines (PAGs) and Emergency Response

Planning Guidelines (ERPGs), prepared in conformance with Department of Energy-approved guidance applicable to the actual or potential release of hazardous materials to the environment for decision-making

• Administration of medications

Considerations

• Evacuation is the preferred protective action when time permits

• Sheltering-in-place may be preferable if there is not enough time to evacuate

• High risk populations includeo People close to the hazard sourceo Mobility-impaired individualso Institutional populations (e.g., hospitals,

schools, nursing homes)

• If appropriate, siren activation initiates a shelter-in-place protective action

• Further instructions may be given over the

Emergency Alert System (EAS)

Protective Actions (cont.)

Reentry Considerations

Onsite reentry steps include

• Review the problem

• Determine resources needed for reentry into event scene

• Coordinate reentry into evacuated areas

• Perform hazard, casualty, and damage assessments

• Develop reentry plan

Reentry Considerations (cont.)

Other reentry considerations include

• Hazard control procedure is in place

• Potential safety failures are considered

• Hazards to site workers and public are assessed

• Team selection and job planning are conducted

• Personnel safety planning is in place

• Communication and record keeping are planned

• Exposure criteria for each type of reentry activity is established

• Personnel training is conducted