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Subject:RE: Bombs in the Workplace From:"Jane Carnall" <jane -dot- carnall -at- digitalbridges -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Thu, 8 Aug 2002 17:06:34 +0100
<Human nature in a crisis is not reliable. There needs to be a clear-cut
policy that everyone knows about for people to follow. That way, they don't
have to think. Thinking is not reliable under these circumstances.>
Agreed. It may seem unreasonable to have a rule about leaving the building
immediately without even stopping to pick up your bag, but if you let people
go back for personal items when it's a fire drill, they may try to do the
same when it's a fire. It's why they repeat that boring safety recital on
every flight.
Richard Cohen's column in today's _Washington Post_ makes an interesting
point: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/opinion/columns/cohenrichard/A57631-200
2Aug8.html
(paraphrased from the article): The Pennsylvania miners survived because
they followed procedure in disaster - seek high ground and not attempt to
escape. Because they followed procedure, Joseph Sbaffoni, division chief of
Pennsylvania's Bureau of Deep Mine Safety, could figure out where they must
be and sink a shaft for the compressed air that kept the miners alive and
safe from rising water until they were rescued.
Apologies for bringing up a tragic event, but I gathered that this was a
problem at the WTC - at least in the south tower. The Port Authority
appeared not to have a clear evacuation policy, and it was reported that
many people were told to stay at their desks. (I have somewhere a forwarded
e-mail from one of the survivors from the south tower - someone in her
office reacted *instantly* the plane hit the north tower, and got everyone
in that office to leave the building immediately. He had not seen what had
happened, but had leapt to the conclusion that it must be have been a bomb -
and thereby almost certainly saved their lives.)
Jane Carnall
Apologies for the long additional sig: it is added automatically and outwith
my control. Home: hj -dot- carnall -at- virgin -dot- net
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