An environmental incident or emergency is a sudden onset accident or disaster resulting from natural, technological or human-induced factors, or a combination of these, that causes or threatens to cause environmental damage as well as impacts on human lives and/or property. Emergency preparedness is a term increasingly used to describe the interface between accidents, human life, health, and the environment.
All organisations have potential emergencies that could cause damage to the natural environment and to human health. Examples of activities at UEA that could lead to emergencies that are environmentally damaging include the following:
• Spillages of paint, cleaning and maintenance supplies
• Spillages of laboratory chemicals
• Incorrectly disposed chemicals
• Drain malfunction
• Fire causing emissions to air and fire water run off
• Spillages of fuel from refuelling
• Emergency situations arising from contracted building works
• Site flooding
• Refrigerant release
• Building collapse
• Storm damage
• Sewerage release
• Spillages of paint, cleaning and maintenance supplies
• Spillages of laboratory chemicals
• Incorrectly disposed chemicals
• Drain malfunction
• Fire causing emissions to air and fire water run off
• Spillages of fuel from refuelling
• Emergency situations arising from contracted building works
• Site flooding
• Refrigerant release
• Building collapse
• Storm damage
• Sewerage release
