Consider the following statements about On-Site Emergency Plan (OSEP):

Question

Consider the following statements about On-Site Emergency Plan (OSEP):

I. OSEP is required mainly for high-hazard industries (e.g., MHU units).

II. OSEP is prepared only by the local fire-department, not by the occupier.

III. OSEP includes incident-control organization, alarms, and evacuation routes.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. A. I and II only
2. B. I and III only (Correct answer)
3. C. II and III only
4. D. I, II and III

Correct Answer

Option B — I and III only

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is I and III only.

Key Points

• Statement I is correct. An OSEP is required chiefly for high-hazard industries, notably Major Accident Hazard units holding hazardous chemicals above threshold quantities.
• Statement II is incorrect, and it is the decisive error. The OSEP is prepared by the occupier of the factory, not by the local fire department. The occupier alone holds the process knowledge the plan depends on; the fire service is a responding partner, not the author.
• Statement III is correct. The plan includes the incident-control organisation, alarm systems and evacuation routes.

Additional Information

• The allocation of duties is the point to hold: on-site plan — the occupier, under Section 41-B of the Factories Act; off-site plan — the District Collector, under the Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989.
• The occupier must nonetheless supply hazard information to the district authority, because the off-site plan cannot be written without credible accident scenarios and vulnerability zones from the plant.
• A complete OSEP names a site main controller and an incident controller, and establishes an emergency control centre with independent communications.
• It must be rehearsed by mock drills and revised in the light of what they reveal.