Original Date: 05/01/2000
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

Prior to 1997, Northrop Grumman Defensive Systems Division (DSD) lacked an integrated emergency management system plan. Although several independent plans existed, they were maintained by different groups within the organization. Security controlled some areas while Environmental Health and Safety Management handled others. Since the application of these various plans lacked consistency, employee awareness of emergency management activities was low. To resolve this situation and comply with corporate and regulatory requirements, Northrop Grumman DSD developed and implemented the DSD Contingency Plan.

This single, integrated plan contains information regarding Northrop Grumman DSD’s one million square-foot facility on a room-by-room basis, and provides a floor plan showing the locations of rooms, offices, laboratories, and shops. The DSD Contingency Plan also lists the number of occupants in each area; all potential hazards and safety concerns; and the names and phone numbers of personnel to be contacted in the event of an incident. An Area Emergency Coordinator is appointed for each area and is responsible for auditing and maintaining the information at that location. In addition, the plan is maintained from a single source site, and employees can access emergency management information by using the company’s Intranet website. Updates are posted daily to ensure the most current data is available.

The DSD Contingency Plan has enabled Northrop Grumman DSD to easily maintain and distribute the latest emergency management information throughout the facility. Employee awareness of emergency procedures have significantly increased, resulting in safer working environments. As a safeguard, the company stores duplicate electronic and paper copies of the DSD Contingency Plan at off-site locations.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.