Bass, Berry & Sims attorney John Dawson authored an article for Manufacturing Engineering magazine’s 2017 Motorized Vehicle Manufacturing Handbook, discussing the responsibilities of manufacturing plants and their employees in the event of an environmental accident. While different responses are required depending on the nature of the accident, plant employees can prepare by understanding the pertinent laws and regulations and having a plan in place to meet regulatory requirements.
An effective plan must include defined responsibilities that are understood among employees before an accident occurs. The plan should make the safety of employees, first responders and the general public the first priority. All response equipment, alarms and communication systems must be up-to-date and in working order. Finally, reporting to regulators as required under various laws and regulations is imperative to ensuring the proper response to a release. “The best way to handle an environmental emergency is to be prepared. Preparation can prevent the impacts of the release from becoming worse and reduce the risk of penalties for failure to follow applicable legal requirements,” said John.
The full article, “Prepare Proactively for Environmental Incidents,” was published in Manufacturing Engineering magazine’s 2017 Motorized Vehicle Manufacturing Handbook on June 12, 2017, and is available online.