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Original Date: 01/24/1994
Revision Date: 01/18/2007
Information : Emergency Response Team
Harris Semiconductor's on-site Emergency Response Team (ERT) has helped reduce personnel injury risks, property loss, and production downtime. The ERT program was the result of new regulatory requirements and a subsequent findings of a management committee investigating ways of meeting those requirements.
Safety engineers and facilities personnel previously responded to on-site emergencies in support of the local fire department. When the ERT program began, a core group of 40 personnel attended a professionally conducted training course for one week. This core group was responsible for further on-site training of ERT members. Each on-site member receives 40 hours of initial training and a minimum of eight hours of refresher training annually. The voluntary ERT is recognized by the company with a yearly social event, as well as distinguishing the members with individualized shirts and badges. There are currently 30 members on the first shift, 20 on the second, and nine on the third.
There have been obvious benefits such as personnel safety and property protection; however, Harris realized that productivity received a positive impact also. When an alarm was previously triggered, the fire department was dispatched to the designated building where personnel had already been evacuated. The fire department then would conduct a walk-through of the entire building until it was determined safe for employees to return. Even during false alarms or very minor situations, this process could require over 45 minutes.
The building ERT now responds as soon as the alarm sounds and can perform an initial investigation from which information can be passed to the fire department. This practice indicates full confidence in the ERT personnel by the fire department. If the situation was minor or a false alarm, personnel can return to work in ten minutes. This saves production time and reduces the risk of product loss that may occur due to a timed process left unattended.
For more information see the
Point of Contact for this survey.
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