CHICAGO, June 18, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MSDSonline, the leading developer of cloud-based environmental, health and safety (EHS) solutions will officially debut its Plan1 first responder information sharing service at the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Conference & Expo. Plan1 allows companies to provide emergency response teams with quick and easy access to their unique site-based hazardous chemical inventory information. This streamlined sharing of information helps first responders better assess, plan and prepare for the potential risks associated with emergencies.
As part of the Plan1 launch, MSDSonline will host an exhibitor presentation at the NFPA Conference & Expo on June 23 from 2:15 – 2:45 p.m. How the Cloud is Revolutionizing the Way Businesses Share Chemical Information with First Responders , given by Mike Flynn, VP of product development & strategy at MSDSonline, will discuss how the innovative, cloud-based Plan1 service helps mitigate chemical hazard dangers for first responders.
MSDSonline created Plan1 in response to growing concerns around chemical hazard communication between its customers (facilities with chemicals) and the first responder community. A taskforce organized around Executive Order 13650 and led by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently uncovered that chemical information is often underreported and frequently out-of-date when first responders arrive.
"Emergencies can happen anywhere at any time – that's why it's essential to have a plan in place to better prepare your workforce and first responders so any dangers are well contained and pose no additional threat to the surrounding community," said Flynn. "Many companies are required by law to provide detailed chemical hazard information to their first responders; however, the information isn't always as comprehensive and current as they would like. Plan1 is a supplemental tool that offers the most critical and up-to-date data directly to response teams so they can make more calculated decisions about how to approach emergency situations. Our hope is that Plan1 prevents larger emergency disaster situations from occurring, while also helping to better protect the people who run in when everyone else runs out."
Plan1 allows for the real-time, seamless distribution of critical hazard information to first responders, who are all-too-often forced to address emergencies without access to a clear and accurate picture of potential on-site chemical dangers. A report released by FEMA in November 2014 found exposure to hazards accounted for 19 percent of all fire-related firefighter injuries reported to the National Fire Incident Reporting System from 2010 to 2012. (SOURCE: http://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/statistics/v15i6.pdf ).
For those unable to attend the NFPA conference presentation, MSDSonline is hosting a series of webinars that offer safety professionals and first responders additional information about EO 13650, along with a more in-depth look at Plan1. Dates for the "Plan1: Sharing Chemical Information with First Responders via the Cloud" webinars include:
- July 7, 2015 at 11 a.m. ET
- July 14 at 11 a.m. ET
Safety professionals interested in registering for either webinar can do so by visiting www.MSDSonline.com/resources/webinars .
The Plan1 service is currently available at no additional cost to MSDSonline customers. Safety managers using the HQ or HQ RegXR account can simply enter in the local first responder information, and the cloud-based system sends chemical inventory information directly to those contacts. Visit www.msdsonline.com/plan1.aspx for more information.
The NFPA Conference & Expo runs June 22-25 at the McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. For more information, visit http://www.nfpa.org/conference .
About MSDSonline
Founded in 1996 and based in Chicago, MSDSonline started as a pioneer in electronic management of safety data sheets and has since grown into a comprehensive chemical management solution provider, adding products for training, injury and illness tracking, and SDS authoring. In 2014, the company expanded its EHS and sustainability offerings through the acquisition of KMI ( www.kminnovations.com ), the leading provider of enterprise level EHS and sustainability software solutions. More than 8 million employees use MSDSonline's chemical management, on-demand training and authoring solutions to help perform their jobs safely. Additional information is available online at www.MSDSonline.com and on the official company blog at www.MSDSonline.com/blog . MSDSonline is an Actua (Nasdaq: ACTA ) company.
Media Contacts MSDSonline Betsy Utley-Marin 312.881.2307 Actua Corporation Karen Greene 610.727.6900
