As a company owner, president, general manager, or key decision-maker, you recognize the significance of protecting your employees and the value of your business. To best protect those invaluable resources, it is important to understand potential threats in the form of crises or emergencies.

To help you think through and plan for crises or emergencies, the American Galvanizers Association has developed the following information for you to use as a blueprint for developing your own crisis management plan. The information provided here is extensive and requires a commitment to become familiar with it. However, the risks to your company in not being prepared for an emergency or crisis are considerably more extensive and should not be underestimated.

This blueprint requires thought, research and organization for it to be valuable to your company. It is not intended to be a complete plan. But, it should be considered a plan by which you safeguard your employees and your business. The blueprint does not try to guide you through rectifying an emergency; nor does it tell you what action you must legally take. It can help you understand the many variables surrounding an emergency or crisis that you can control – all to protect your employees and the value of your business.

© 2001 American Galvanizers Association. The information provided herein has been developed to provide accurate and authoritative information about after-fabrication hot-dip galvanized steel. This material provides general information only and is not intended as a substitute for competent professional examination and verification as to suitability and applicability. The information provided herein is not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of the AGA. Anyone making use of this information assumes all liability arising from such use.

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CRISIS MANAGEMENT PLAN

The ultimate purpose of a Crisis Management Plan is to protect your employees and the value of your business. Your company might be vulnerable to crises and/or emergencies specific to your operations. Additionally, crises can exist in the form of: Picketers (labor, environmental) Natural disasters (earthquake, floods, lightning strikes) Plant accidents (employee sickness/accident/death, acid spill, catastrophic kettle

failure, bag-house failure) Product failure (light pole collapse, bridge deck collapse) Public opinion attack (environmental, social) Surprise OSHA or EPA inspection Off-site spill of secondary product being shipped to a recycler Truck accident spilling HDG product into a stream/river Truck accident where people are injured or killed

Once potential crises / emergencies have been identified, follow these steps to develop an effective Crisis Management Plan:1. Inform top management why such a plan is necessary, even when business is thriving

and no apparent threats are foreseen.2. Develop a corporate policy about crisis management, including a clear statement

regarding the objectives of planning for a crisis and what employees should do if disaster strikes

3. Perform a risk assessment to identify the most likely sources of crises and areas of vulnerability. Talk to all levels of personnel and outside sources to discover trouble spots. Topics to explore include: Where are the greatest risks? What specifically might happen? How severe will the impact be? What groups will be affected?

4. Conduct an issues assessment to identify social and/or environmental positions (or lack thereof) that your company may have that can result in a crisis. Issues can threaten you company’s image, raise the cost of doing business and affect market share. Research, monitoring of public opinion trends, and reviewing trade literature can help management anticipate, identify and address issue-related problems before they become emergencies.

5. Develop a communications plan before the crisis strikes. Your company’s response in the first few days of a crisis will be the lasting image of your company. The plan must incorporate a speedy, thorough, accurate and credible response. The communications plan should include: Identification of personnel to take charge during the crisis Communications strategies with relevant local, state and national governmental

authorities, and safety and health organizations, as appropriate Streamlined internal communications Identification of one spokesperson, to present a consistent message Sequenced communications to various external audiences Updated media and other stakeholder lists and contact information

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6. Establish a mechanism to take the pulse of public opinion during the crisis so that your company’s message is focused on key audiences’ primary concerns

7. Conduct mock crisis drills to acclimate key employees to the pressures of an emergency/crisis situation. Formally handle several scenarios, paying close attention to handling sensitive groups such as rank-and-file employees, community members and local officials

8. Train the company spokesperson to handle media interviews and communicate with authorities

9. Plan for direct communications to target audiences, without the filter of the media. This direct communication may include direct mail, advertising, newsletters, etc. and should include your company’s comments on sensitive issues such as: Why did the crisis/emergency happen? What is the company doing about it? Can it happen again? Why or why not? What is the company’s immediate plan? Temporarily close? Initiate a cleanup?

10. Develop post-crises steps to communicate with those audiences that may require follow-up communication. This is a reassuring measure to outsiders and can bolster employee morale.

A Blueprint for Crisis Management Planning

A. Internal Alert Page 1

B. External Alert Page 1

C. Public Relations Responsibilities Page 2

D. Emergency Communications Headquarters Page 3

E. Background Material Page 4

F. The Personal Injury/Death Communications Policy Page 5

G. Employee Relations Page 5

H. Community Relations Page 5

Crisis Management Plan– A Blueprint Page iii

I. The Crisis/Emergency Page 7

J. Follow-up After the Emergency Page 9

Crisis Management Plan BlueprintPage 1 of 9

A. Internal Alert

The following people or their equivalents should be aware of any crisis/emergency. Design the list to suit your company or plant personnel assignments. Some titles may not apply but the functional responsibility should help you determine whom to contact.

Name Title Office # Home # Cell #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Plant Mgr.

Superintendent

Safety Mgr.

Environmental Mgr.

Legal Counsel

Security

B. External Alert

1. Emergency HelpAs determined by the nature of the crisis/emergency, you may be in contact with the following organizations:

Emergency Help Name Phone #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Fire Department

Police Department

County Sheriff Dept.

County Health Officer

Dept. of Environmental Protection

Highway Patrol

Local Hospital

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2. MediaIn a crisis/emergency you may be hearing from any one of the following media representatives. A good policy is to get to know reporters in your community in advance of a crisis/emergency. You will be more comfortable in talking to them and your credibility will be enhanced if you develop a relationship beforehand.

Organization Contact Address Phone #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Newspapers

Television

Radio

Trade Publications

Other Publications

C. Public Relations Responsibilities

The person designated by the plant manager (or president/owner) to handle public relations in an emergency/crisis will coordinate communications activities. Depending on the type of emergency/crisis, you will need the following assistance:

SpokespersonThe media contact for the duration of the emergency/crisis. Except in special situations clearly defined in advance, no other employee will give out information to the media. All employees should be instructed to refer all questions to the spokesperson. Training in handling media is recommended.

Our Spokesperson(s) is (are):

Name Office # Cell/Pager # Home #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Press EscortsDuties are to escort the media while on company grounds, coordinate arrival time with security guards, serve as couriers to relay information from the scene of the accident/crisis to the plant manager (president/owner), assist in answering telephone calls, and possibly take photographs of the scene.

Our press escort is:

Name Office # Cell/Pager # Home #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Communications Headquarters CoordinatorWill be responsible for physical setup of internal communications headquarters, including phone lines, cell phones, computer stations, fax machines, supplies, food, etc.

Our communications headquarters coordinator is:

Name Office # Cell/Pager # Home #------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

D. Emergency Communications Headquarters

This designated room serves as the coordination point for your press relations people (if you have retained them) to learn the latest news, decide on a course of action, draft statements, clear messages for the press, brief spokespersons, and answer press calls. This room should be separate from where the press are gathered and also separate from the plant manager’s (president’s/owner’s) office.

The communications headquarters is:

Phone numbers for use in an emergency are:

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The room should be equipped with a computer/printer and several telephones, and basic office supplies (pens, paper, etc.) in order to allow for efficient operations.

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E. Background Material

Before an emergency/crisis occurs:

1. Develop a fact sheet on your particular facility. Use the information discreetly in discussions with non-employees.

We employ ____ number of people.The plant covers ____ acres.Our plant performs the following functions and services:

Downstream products key audiences would relate to are:

Our safety record is excellent. Our plant’s last injury involving days away from work was: (date)

As of (date ), this plant has worked hours without incident. The following people are familiar with our track record at this plant:Public Health Official Mayor Chamber of Commerce Official

Our environmental record is:

2. Develop a map of the facility to indicate the location of pressroom and other key areas of the plant, including all buildings and storage locations.

3. Maintain a file of emergency background data on products that may be involved in the accident/crisis.

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F. The personal Injury/Death Communications Policy

The names of injured or deceased persons should never be disclosed until next-of-kin have been properly notified. Release of this information will be cleared by _____________. If family members call wanting to know if an employee is safe, follow the established procedures, i.e. leave the necessary notification to those assigned the responsibility.

G. Employee Relations

Part of the preplanning for an emergency is to assure employees that you are prepared to handle crisis/emergency situations. Review of this entire Crisis Management Plan is the first step in developing trust and cooperation among employees and plant management. Ask the following questions to aid employee communication:

Does the situation warrant a special employee information center? Should an employee hotline be established to answer employee questions that

may arise after hours?

H. Community Relations

There are specific guidelines in place covering chemical hazard communications. The position statement is: (for example)

___________________ (company) is committed to effectively managing all potential chemical hazards associated with its products and operations. This includes communicating all necessary information on materials transported, used or stored to ______________ (company) employees, customers, emergency personnel and civil authorities, so that they may safely and effectively carry out their responsibilities.

In addition, we will communicate the potential hazards of our materials to local communities. Elements of an effective communications program may include community meetings, plant tours, discussions and training sessions. We will also provide information appropriate for each specific audience, utilizing information from MSDS and other sources.

The primary reason for providing this information is to respond to public concerns and interests and to prevent inappropriate response to incidents that could cause personal injury, illness or property loss.

The objective is to involve the community before an emergency occurs and to make it aware of your planning and ability to respond to and contain a potential disaster.

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Key community groups are:

Employees First Responders – those groups outside of ______________ (company) who

would respond in the event of an emergency, e.g. police and fire departments, and hospitals.

Opinion Leaders – those who, because of their responsibilities, need to be well informed about potential problems and emergency programs, e.g. the mayor, city council members or health department officials.

Site Neighbors – adjacent residences, businesses, other industries, schools or others near the perimeter of the plant.

Following are important people in our community (not including employees) to be alerted in an emergency:

First RespondersName Title Business Phone #

Opinion LeadersName Title Business Phone #

Selected Site NeighborsName Title Business Phone #

Here are activities to consider in advance of a crisis/emergency: Involve community groups in your next drill. Invite the local community to a town hall session to review your preparations,

answer questions on safety, educate them on how to recognize a warning and identify emergency personnel, community evacuation plans, what actions are expected of them and what constitutes an all-clear signal.

Select an employee to present _________________ (company) safety program to schools, service clubs and other business groups in the community.

Tell your safety story to the local newspaper.

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I. The Crisis/Emergency

The designated public relations contact should develop a number of materials and activities in advance to create uniformity and to be prepared in the event of an emergency (all types – fire, chemical spill, kettle failure, act of God, truck accident, etc.). Care must be taken to assure that notification complies with any current federal, state or local requirements for emergency bulletins.

1. The News ReleaseThe purpose is to convey written information on the incident and avoid misinterpretation. The release answers the five basic “Ws” – who, what, where, when and why. It does not speculate.

First, collect and assess the information about the crisis/emergency. Then decide whether it must be released under current regulations or should be released for other reasons. Legal requirements should be considered as the minimum information released. Good public relations dictate the release of additional facts. Reasonable information includes: Nature of the accident Identity of the substance released or involved in the accident Where and when it happened Recommendations for actions to be taken by public officials and others The plant’s response to the crisis/emergency Measures taken to combat or contain the crisis/emergency Physical extent of the accident, including quantity of material released/spilled

(but not an estimate of damage cost) Plans to be back in operation Extraordinary or heroic actions by employees (identify) Extent of personal injuries and after the families have been notified, the names

of injured employees, if appropriate Persons to contact for further information

The following information should not be released:

Speculation of any kind Attempts to place blame Identification of a specific cause of the accident Monetary estimates of damage

The objective is to meet legal requirements and disseminate information quickly --- 24 hours after the incident is too late.

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2. Background StatementMany people, including your own employees, will be asking for facts about the accident/crisis. Prepare an internal background statement to be used in communicating to employees.

Each statement should include specific guidelines for discussion with outside sources, such as: Beyond the text written below, make no comment about the incident Refer all media calls to the public relations contact

Following is a sample background statement:“A production interruption in the plant resulted in the release/spill of _________ (chemical, metal, etc.) at ________ (time) today. This situation was brought under control at ______ (time). It is possible that these materials could have caused an odor in nearby areas for a brief time. This odor should (does) not present any health problems. We regret any concern this may have caused you and thank you for calling us to find out what happened.”

If the situation is a serious emergency, the statement might be:“We have experienced a production upset at the plant today which caused the accidental release/spill of ___________ (chemical, metal, etc.). Our emergency response procedures are in effect at this time and we expect to have this situation under control shortly. At this time we do not believe that the community is exposed to any serious health hazard and there should be no cause for public concern.”

3. Spokesperson BriefingThe role of the spokesperson is: Ensure the media receive timely factual information Provide the media with a single, consistent source of material that has been

cleared for release Minimize the possibility that contradictory statements will surface Reduce the public’s fear and anxiety through unemotional, factual reporting Put events in perspective and explain technical matters to the general media

Here are questions the spokesperson should be prepared to answer: What caused the accident? Was anyone injured? How many railcars/trucks are involved? Name of the carrier, if not your own

trucks? Was the driver injured? Are there any leaks or spills? How much loss (gallons/pounds)? Is the released substance toxic? How toxic? What is the chemical? Metal? Is it liquid? Solid? Gas? If it gets into waterways, will it threaten aquatic life? If people breathe the vapors, will it make them sick? Cause fatalities?

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Is it explosive? Flammable? (On evacuation) Is there an evacuation? How many homes/people are

involved? How large an area? How long before they can return? Who ordered the evacuation?

What are you going to do right now? What’s happening right now? How is the substance used? How is it made? What is the process? From where was it shipped and where was it bound? Who is making repairs? In charge of the cleanup? Is there a better way to ship rather than going through populated areas? How much damage was done? How much product lost in dollars? Whose financial responsibility is it? How often do accidents like this happen and what are you doing to prevent

them? Who are the injured/dead employees? Ages? Addresses?

4. The Press ConferenceIf the incident is major, you should be prepared to conduct a press conference. In addition to the spokesperson, it is a good idea to include the plant manager/owner/president, the safety manager and other experts as appropriate.

Following is a list of materials and activities required for a press conference:a. Press kit – including company background , information concerning the

incident, the chemical/metal & area of the plant involved, statements made by the speakers, biographical information on the speakers and other pertinent facts

b. Selection of speakersc. Location – is current press headquarters sufficient?d. Develop a press list

J. Follow-up After Emergency

1. MediaPeriodically contact the media to update them on events. Look for positive actions the company is taking to correct the situation and convey this to reporters. For example: Re-stocking of fish in stream or pond Increased emergency drill frequency with employees Purchased new/additional bag-house equipment

2. Employees and CommunityDon’t assume that all of your employees and citizens in the community will receive the follow-up facts from the media. Distribute a news update to their homes. Consider maintaining a special phone line to address the concerns they may have several weeks after the crisis/emergency incident.