Hazardous materials emergencies can affect employees at the facility as well as people in the surrounding communities.
- If your location is close to heavily traveled highways, railways, and near various industries, it can be exposed to hazardous materials from an unplanned release.
- The Director of Crisis Management will correspond directly with all federal, state, and local governmental agencies. Therefore, the response will be based on recommendations from these governmental agencies.
- Employees and visitors—all building occupants—will be notified and given the course of action to be initiated and the routes to use.
Courses of Action
- General evacuation: Announce evacuation routes to employees. Follow WPCC’s General Evacuation Procedure. All employees and other building occupants will exit to a predetermined point of assembly as defined in the Fire Evacuation Plan – Addendum B).
- Staggered evacuations: The location would be evacuated in sections. All building occupants would leave to a predetermined point of assembly.
- Designate restricted areas: Contaminated areas of a location would be evacuated. Employees and other building occupants would be advised as to what areas are deemed “safe.”
- Isolate building: If authorities order that people be sheltered in place, employees and building occupants would remain in the building. Outside air sources, such as fans and doors, would be shut down.
At the first opportunity, contact the following divisions and personnel:
- Director: Sandy Hoilman, Vice-President for Administrative Services/CFO extension 6025
Home: (828) 874-2549 - Emergency Planning Committee Members: Special Response Team II
- Public Relations: Jim Burnett, President extension 3100 Home: (828) 584-3972
- Manager: Vice-President for Academic Affairs extension 6048 Home: 336-413-9063
On-Site Spill of Hazardous Materials
In the event WPCC’s location has a hazardous waste spill involving any material known to be hazardous or any material that is unknown, the following steps should be followed:
- Call to report the spill as soon as possible: Morganton Department of Public Safety 9 – 911 and Campus Security extension 3500, 6000 or 6196.
- If trained and can do so safely, stop the source of the spill.
- Contain the spill from entering waterways or drains.
On-Site Air Release of Hazardous Materials
In the event there is release of potentially harmful material such as pipe insulation or gases into the air, follow these steps:
- Evacuate employees and visitors (all building occupants) from the immediate area affected.
- Contact the Morganton Department of Public Safety for assistance, at (828) 437-1211.
- If trained to do so, try to stop the source of the release.
A list of on-site hazardous materials MSDS (Materials Safety Data Sheets), and their locations, are maintained in a bright yellow Right-to-Know Book in the following areas:
- Moore Hall 10A