Appendix 4: Emergency Planning and Procedures

General rules on procedures for incidents
Minor incidents and emergencies
Emergency telephone numbers display
Emergency planning

1. General rules on procedures for incidents

As a basic rule, the notices in laboratories and other premises regarding escape routes, fire-fighting equipment and manual alarm buttons must be followed.

2. Minor incidents and emergencies

Minor incidents are, in general, to be dealt with by the person(s) who caused them, if appropriate with the assistance of the Biosafety Officers (BSO).

In the event of a serious incident, the emergency services (internal / external) must be alerted. In emergency, the response should always follow the same pattern and proceed in a linear way:

Step	Action for minor incident	Action in emergency
1. Keep calm	Get an overall view of the situation	Leave the danger zone in case of aerosol formation, fire, etc.
2. Alarm	Inform BSO	Alert the emergency services (internal / external)
3. Secure	Confine the contaminated area	Rescue (self-protection)
4. Act	Disinfect or decontaminate according to the hygiene plan	Extinguish, shut down power, close valves, etc. (self-protection)

3. Emergency telephone numbers display

Emergency telephone numbers for external emergency services and in-house persons responsible for safety are available on stickers in the laboratories next to the telephones and by the first-aid boxes.

These phone numbers are also listed in Appendix 3.

4. Emergency planning

4.i Spillage of infectious material WITHOUT aerosol formation

Step	Action
1. Alarm	Alert BSO (+41 44 632 31 62) WHERE did the incident occur? WHAT WAS SPILLED/released? HOW MANY people are affected? WHO calls?
2. Secure	Do not leave the affected area if it is safe to stay Keep calm Confine the contaminated area Disinfect or decontaminate according to the hygiene plan Get clearance from BSO
3. Act	Complete the report sheet for laboratory incidents

4.ii Spillage of infectious material WITH aerosol formation

Step	Action
1. Evacuate the danger zone	Immediately evacuate all the people from the danger zone Affected employees should decontaminate themselves immediately, if possible; otherwise, they should remain separated from the crowd to prevent spreading the dangerous substances
2. Alarm	Alert BSO (+41 44 632 31 62) WHERE did the incident occur? WHAT WAS SPILLED/released? HOW MANY people are affected? WHO calls?
3. Secure	Seal off the room, switch off ventilation, wait 30 minutes decontaminate people disinfect the room as instructed by the laboratory manager according to the hygiene plan disinfect contaminated equipment issue clearance after checking that everything has been decontaminated
4. Act	Complete the report sheet for laboratory incidents

4.iii Injuries

See the poster: Emergencies in the lab - what to do?

Step	Action
1. Alarm	Alert ETH Emergency Desk (+41 44 342 11 88 or 888) Call the ambulance if necessary (144) WHERE did the incident occur? WHAT WAS SPILLED/released? HOW MANY people are affected? WHO calls?
2. Act	provide first aid remove gloves and lab coat wash hands and injured areas of the skin disinfect with hand disinfectand or 70% ethanol complete the report sheet for laboratory incidents

4.iv Fire, explosion

Step	Action
1. Alarm (if the fire alarm did not set off automatically)	Alert ETH Emergency Desk (+41 44 342 11 88 or 888) Call the fire brigade if necessary (118) Alarm BSO (+41 44 632 31 62) WHERE did the incident occur? WHAT WAS SPILLED/released? HOW MANY people are affected? WHO calls?
2. Rescue	Evacuate all people from the danger zone to the assembly area via the designated escape routes
3. Act	Fight the fire (self-protection!) Complete the report sheet for laboratory incidents

4.v Flooding, inundation

Step	Action
1. Alarm	Alert ETH Emergency Desk (+41 44 342 11 88 or 888) Alarm BSO (+41 44 632 31 62) WHERE did the incident occur? WHAT WAS SPILLED/released? HOW MANY people are affected? WHO calls?
2. Secure	Protect material and equipment Shut off the supply lines Clean and decontaminate surfaces Decontaminate the waste water installation
3. Act	Complete the report sheet for laboratory incidents

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