Good Practice in Emergency Preparedness and Response

Summary

• Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at Local Level (APELL) is a tool for bringing people, principally company staff, community representatives and local authorities, together to allow effective communication about risks and planning for emergency response.
• This publication acts as a companion to UNEP’s APELL for Mining (2001). That document was prepared to assist mining companies to apply UNEP’s APELL process, which had previously and largely been used in the chemicals industry.
• Successful mining and metals operations require the support of the communities in which they operate, and experience has shown that open and informed communication between emergency response partners about potential risks results in better organised emergency response.
• In 2003, ICMM considered that it was necessary to take the APELL process further by analysing emergency preparedness and response capabilities within both its corporate and association membership. With UNEP’s guidance and input, we questioned members on their performance and systems in this critical area. 
• Our analysis showed that, while ICMM members’ technical preparations for emergencies are good, more effort is required in working with neighbouring communities.
• Thoroughly implementing the model plan described in chapter 2 is no easy task. However, the examples provided by the case studies in chapter 3 and the reference material in the appendices provides both inspiration and information to achieve this important assignment.