What To Do If An Emergency Occurs On - DOE Oak Ridge Operations

How Safe is the Oak Ridge Reservation?Key Emergency InformationThe Department of Energy (DOE)places its highest importance onthe safety of our employees andthe public while protecting theenvironment. Our missions arecomplex. They include cuttingedgescience, national security,environmental cleanup, and thenext generation of nuclear energytechnology.Our employees perform this workat three major sites spread acrossAnderson and Roane counties,including the Oak Ridge NationalLaboratory (ORNL), the Y-12National Security Complex (Y-12),and the East TennesseeTechnology Park (ETTP)/HeritageCenter.FACTS: DOE in Oak Ridge• 13,000 employees• $2.7 billion budget• 33,725 acres• 1,456 buildingsDec. 2006Each site is unique. Some of ouroperations involve handlingradioactive and hazardousmaterials while others involvetearing down old industrialfacilities that are no longerneeded. Whatever the task, wediligently strive to understand thehazards involved and take theproper precautions to protect ourworkers and the public.The risk of a major emergency,however, is very low. That’sbecause of extensive environment,safety and health programs inplace at our facilities to protect thehealth and safety of employeesand the public. That means thatDOE, its contractors, and stateand local governments are trainedto respond to ensure public safetyand protection of the environmentif something happens.The following sections highlightactions you should take in theevent of an emergency along withbackground information on ourfacilities. Preparing makes sense,so take a moment to becomefamiliar with what you will need todo if an emergency occurs on theOak Ridge Reservation.Gerald BoydOak Ridge OfficeManagerTed SherryY-12 Site OfficeManagerWhat do I do when there is anemergency?DOE is committed to public safetyin the event an emergency arises.You will likely be made aware thatan emergency is happeningthrough the television or radioand, depending on the level ofemergency, the public warningsiren system.If an emergency is declared,trained responders are paged tothe site's Emergency OperationsCenter. Conditions are thenassessed to determine whatshould be done to protect thepublic and the environment. Withinan hour, a news release would beissued to the media stating that anemergency is in progress alongwith any protective actions thepublic should take asdirected by theTennessee EmergencyManagement Agency.Often these events areconfined to thebuilding or site and,therefore, impact onlythe employeesworking in theimmediate area.Should an event affectthe area beyond oursite boundaries,warning sirens locatedwithin two miles of the site wouldbe sounded. If you live in anaffected area, you may be askedto remain in your residence if youare at home, or you may be askedto change your route if you aredriving. When theseannouncements are made,specific instructions will be givenand will vary depending on whereyou live. The key is to stay tunedto the television and radio mediafor the latest information.The pages that follow describe thisprocess in detail. You will know thetypes of emergencies declared,some background on our facilities,and a map to locate where you liveand work. By the end of thispublication, you will know what todo if an emergency occurs on theOak Ridge Reservation.Emergency Web site:www.oakridge.doe.gov/emergency45