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How an evacuation plan saved lives
In the wake of the devastation of the World Trade Center in New York, we must recognize that while some 4,000 lives were lost, over 25,000 lives were saved. Why? Because of an evacuation plan which worked.
According to Robert Solomon of the (US) National Fire Protection Association, tens of thousands of occupants successfully escaped the North and South Towers of the World Trade Center on 11 September. In addition, occupants in other World Trade Center facilities, including the Marriott Hotel, were successfully evacuated.
A number of circumstances led to the successful evacuation of people and the saving of thousands of human lives on that day. There will most certainly be new or additional ideas which will surface as information and reports are developed or digested, and which could be applied at other high-rise structures where thousands of people are employed.
The evacuation plan and its impact had its roots in an earlier attack on the World Trade Center, which was bombed in February 1993. The event caused enormous damage, but led to improvements in safety. These included:
Clearly, the experience of the 1993 bombing created a heightened level of awareness about emergency procedures and evacuation among the buildings' workers. People spoke of calm and direct action which seemed to have emerged from a positive exposure to information and training on emergency procedures.
The fact that workers were receptive to evacuation training was confirmed in interviews with people who evacuated the building. They spoke of a calm and orderly evacuation. People also witnessed an effective interface among the operators of the building and the emergency services (police, fire, and emergency medical services).
"The devastating attack on the World Trade Center has added whole new dimensions to our concept of safety," said Alan C. McMillan, President of the National Safety Council and former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health, US Department of Labor. "This tragedy has also given new meaning to the work of the safety professional - we are now challenged to expect the unexpected, and think the unthinkable."
The fact that so many people were able to evacuate the building successfully attests to the importance of certain considerations relevant to any workplace:
The ILO Constitution calls for "adequate protection for the life and health of workers in all occupations". The ILO Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155) states under Article 19, that employers shall be required to provide, where necessary, for measures to deal with emergencies and accidents, including adequate first-aid arrangements.
The newly published ILO Guidelines on Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems, calls for establishing and maintaining emergency prevention, preparedness and response arrangements. These arrangements should identify the potential for accidents and emergency situations, and address the prevention of occupational safety and health risks associated with them. The arrangements should be made according to the size and nature of activity of the organization. It states that these arrangements should be established in cooperation with external emergency services and other bodies, where applicable.
Says former Deputy Assistant Secretary McMillan, "The fact that 25,000 lives were saved at the World Trade Center underscores the importance of proper preparation for emergencies and disasters - including well thought-out and well-drilled evacuation procedures, facility readiness, training, education, and communication. Emergency planning can no longer be regarded as only theoretical; the threat of a disaster is real, and we must do everything we can to be prepared."
- David Gold, ILO Safework Programme
Dr. Gold is Senior Occupational Safety and Health Education and Training Officer in the ILO Safework Programme. Prior to joining the ILO he worked in the field of fire protection, firefighter safety and emergency management. He published several articles on workplace fire protection and the (US) National Fire Protection Association's Fire Brigade Training Manual. He also served as a volunteer fire fighter, a fire service instructor and an emergency medical services instructor.