F89 Emergency Action Plan Procedures 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.38, how often must the Emergency Action Plan be reviewed with employees who are responsible for carrying out the plan?
- Only during initial hire orientation
- Whenever the plan is changed or an employee's responsibilities change (Correct answer)
- Every five years regardless of changes
- Only after an actual emergency occurs
Correct answer: Whenever the plan is changed or an employee's responsibilities change
OSHA requires the EAP to be reviewed with responsible employees whenever the plan changes or when an employee's duties under the plan change.
Question 2: During a high-rise building evacuation, which floor is typically evacuated FIRST when a fire alarm is activated on the 18th floor?
- The top floor of the building
- The floor of fire origin, plus two floors above and one floor below (Correct answer)
- All floors simultaneously
- Only the floor of fire origin
Correct answer: The floor of fire origin, plus two floors above and one floor below
Standard high-rise EAP protocol evacuates the fire floor plus the two floors above and the floor immediately below as the immediate priority.
Question 3: A Fire and Life Safety Director discovers that a stairwell door used as an evacuation route has been propped open. What is the FIRST action required by the EAP?
- Immediately evacuate all occupants via that stairwell
- Close the door and notify the fire command station of the corrective action (Correct answer)
- Post a guard at the door until a repair crew arrives
- Ignore it if no fire alarm is currently active
Correct answer: Close the door and notify the fire command station of the corrective action
Propped stairwell doors defeat fire compartmentalization; the FLSD must immediately close the door and document the corrective action at the fire command station.
Question 4: Which element is REQUIRED to be included in a written Emergency Action Plan under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.38?
- A detailed schematic of the building's HVAC system
- Procedures for reporting a fire or other emergency (Correct answer)
- A list of all tenants and their lease terms
- Monthly fire drill cost estimates
Correct answer: Procedures for reporting a fire or other emergency
OSHA mandates that the EAP include procedures for reporting fires and emergencies as one of its required elements.
Question 5: An occupant with a mobility impairment cannot use the stairwell during an evacuation. Where should they be directed per standard high-rise EAP procedures?
- The nearest elevator lobby
- An area of rescue assistance (area of refuge) near a stairwell (Correct answer)
- The building's main lobby
- The roof for helicopter evacuation
Correct answer: An area of rescue assistance (area of refuge) near a stairwell
Occupants with mobility impairments should proceed to a designated area of rescue assistance where they can communicate with emergency personnel and await assisted evacuation.
Question 6: The EAP designates certain employees as 'floor wardens.' What is a floor warden's PRIMARY responsibility during an evacuation?
- Operating the fire suppression system
- Ensuring all occupants on their assigned floor evacuate safely and accounting for them at the assembly point (Correct answer)
- Conducting a structural inspection of the floor
- Communicating directly with the fire department incident commander
Correct answer: Ensuring all occupants on their assigned floor evacuate safely and accounting for them at the assembly point
Floor wardens are responsible for directing and confirming evacuation of occupants on their assigned floor and reporting headcount at the assembly area.
Question 7: Which scenario would most likely trigger a SHELTER-IN-PLACE directive rather than a full building evacuation under a building's EAP?
- A confirmed structural fire on the 10th floor
- A hazardous material release detected in the street outside the building (Correct answer)
- A fire alarm activation with visible smoke in a stairwell
- A bomb threat with a specific device location inside the building
Correct answer: A hazardous material release detected in the street outside the building
An outdoor hazardous material release makes exiting the building dangerous, making shelter-in-place the appropriate protective action.
F89 Emergency Action Plan Procedures 4
Under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.38, how often must the Emergency Action Plan be reviewed with employees who are responsible for carrying out the plan?