Chemical Risk Management - Significance of 24 Hour Emergency Response Helpline Services

Transcription

1 Chemical Risk Management - Significance of 24 Hour Emergency Response Helpline Services Presented by Giles Hobson from the United Kingdom s National Chemical Emergency Centre ()

2 Introduction to Standard setter in provision of 24 hour chemical emergency response helpline services Established 1973 by UK Government Privatised in 1990s Integral part of Chemsafe scheme in the UK Worldwide support to global client sulphuric base acid, led to through Carechem 24 International multilingual response service

3 Level 1 emergency response Telephone-based solution Dedicated 24 hour helpline For legal compliance where regulations exist An early and effective intervention may make a crucial difference to the outcome of an incident To help reduce impact of a chemical accident on people, property and the environment Critical first stage in a chemical emergency response plan

4 Why do you need an emergency helpline? 1) For compliance with regulations: Chemical trade regulations e.g. REACH / CLP in Europe, Decree 591 / SAWS Order 53 in China Transport regulations such as IATA, IMDG, CFR 49 Existing regulations vary in strength, significant gaps in coverage 2) To meet other business objectives: Explains requirement for global solutions

5 Emergency response regulations - Europe REACH & CLP in force in 31 European countries, Article 45 of CLP defines role of official advisory bodies in the provision of emergency information services. Poison Centres with official advisory body status in 22 European countries No official advisory body in 8 countries involving including fuming UK, Italy and Poland, need to provide alternative emergency number Unique situation in the case of Germany, but reality is that a German Poison Centre must still be appointed

6 Emergency response regulations - Europe Lack strength (e.g. 24 hour number not compulsory) Inconsistencies in adoption by Member States Reliance on Poison Centres has significant drawbacks (coverage, hours of operation, restrictions on callers, SDS registration) Need to look beyond Poison Centres for solutions that provide complete coverage

7 Chinese regulations Arguably the most stringent in the world at the present time as they demand: Provision of a local (+86) emergency contact number Helpline must be manned at all times (24/7/365) Responses in the local language Person providing response must have expertise in chemical ER procedures and immediate access to substance information (the SDS) Authorities will test lines (two strikes rule) Use of NRCC ensures compliance

8 Why do you need an emergency helpline? It s not just for compliance Responsible Care, Product Stewardship, CSR Business continuity and preparedness Minimise impact on health and environment Reduce financial cost of incidents Protect brand image and corporate reputation Support customers and supply chain partners

9 Operators of ER helplines Third party providers, examples include: Government & industry supported private sector organization: in the UK Government organization: CANUTEC in Canada, NRCC in China Industry organization: CHEMTREC in the USA Private sector consulting organizations: 3E and SGS Or, in-house emergency response hotlines

10 The outsourced solution: key benefits The third party provider s experience and expertise in the handling of emergency calls on a daily basis Preparedness fully trained personnel always available and ready for the next call Dedicated fit-for-purpose infrastructure Multilingual call handling ability Cost savings and peace of mind Worldwide coverage through a single provider

11 The in-house solution: key challenges Cost and effort in establishing and maintaining the required infrastructure Salaries, training costs and availability of suitably qualified personnel, 24/7/365 May divert designated Emergency Responders from primary day-to-day responsibilities Drain on management time Potentially complex language barriers

12 The outsourced solution: what should your provider be offering? Credentials: How many years in operation? Backing / endorsement from governments and trade bodies Evidence of delivering worldwide solutions to a global client base Case studies and customer references backed by positive feedback and high retention rates Technical expertise: Emergency Responders with strong background in chemistry and comprehensive training in the handling of emergency calls Not just relying on the content of a Safety Data Sheet Capacity to deal with complex situations (e.g. incident involving a combination of chemicals from different suppliers) the and setting anticipate up of the complications Ability to deliver the most appropriate advice to meet the caller s needs

13 The outsourced solution: what should your provider be offering? Infrastructure: Permanently manned operations centre with fixed landlines No use of mobile phones and / or answering machines outside normal working hours Sophisticated yet robust ICT systems Business continuity plans for maximum service availability Call handling: Speed of response including language recognition and mobilisation of an interpreter Multilingual support the ability to provide advice in involving the language fuming of the caller Availability of local emergency phone numbers to comply the setting with up national of the regulations or satisfy operational requirements Availability of dedicated language lines

14 The outsourced solution: what should your provider be offering? Customer service: Ability to tailor service (especially important for large and complex organisations) Aligned call handling and reporting procedures Appropriate care in dealing with any non-emergency calls Allows test calls Transparency and accountability: All calls recorded and reported Liability for advice given

15 Industry and market trends the (near) future Expected further implementation of national and / or regional regulations requiring suppliers of chemicals to provide emergency phone lines that are: Local Answered in the local language Manned 24/7/365 Answered by trained emergency responders with immediate access to product information

16 Thank you