Current issues in external emergency planning

Abstract

The measures set out in the external emergency plan guarantee the safety of the population living in the vicinity of hazardous industrial facilities, as well as the public institutions and economic organizations operating there. Last year, several significant legislative amendments entered into force, which modify the rules governing the preparation of such plans. Considering all these factors, it is advisable to examine the changes and, at the same time, review the process of external emergency planning. Accordingly, this work addresses the systems of plan preparation, exercising and revision, as well as public information and alerting. The authors’ main objective is to enable the participating organizations to become familiar with their most important tasks, through which the safety of citizens can be protected, and to formulate recommendations that, once incorporated, may make both the planning and damage control tasks more effective.