Document 10q4bba80R9wnjkvDyX0eamgE

BULLETIN P-39 Revision 1 MONSANTO CHEMICAL COMPANY Texas City, Texas November 13, 1957 EMERGENCY PRESS PLAN The plant manager at each location is responsible for providing a controlled and accurate distribution of information about Monsanto to the general public in times of emergency through the media of press, radio, television and wire services. This re sponsibility includes the establishment of a 24-hour emergency press plan. The following plan defines the role of Monsanto employees during a plant emergency. As used herein, the term "plant emergency" refers to any and all types of accident or injury to employees, and to fires, spills and explosions in the plant. It also applies to conditions outside our immediate control, but still within the plant, such as injuries to employees of contractors. In times of a major disaster or emergency, this plan will be superseded by the procedures of the Emergency Press Group that operates within the overall Plant Disaster Plan. , In general, however, the details and policy of this plan are applicable to all plant emergencies. Responsibility It will be the responsibility of a specific supervisory employee, as designated by the plant manager, to act as "information Chief" during an emergency. This Information Chief will handle all calls from the press and get news to the press on the emergency after obtaining proper approval. This duty will fall normally to the supervisor responsible for public relations. There will be two other employees who will be familiar with the plan and may act as alternates. The responsibility will automatically fall to the One who Is first reached by plant officials or by repre sentatives of the press. Authority The only person authorized to give out information to the press during an emergency is the plant manager or his alternate representatives as may be dictated by operational policy. No other employee is authorized to give such information to the press or radio. Any Inquires that may reach an employee from the press must be directed to the Information Chief. This may be done by referring the call or request to the plant telephone operators, gate receptionists or sergeants of the guard. These personnel are familiar with which individuals are authorized to handle press calls. Duties of Information Chief The base of operations for the Information Chief during a plant emergency will be the Personnel Department offices in the Office SC 005199 LAM006409 Annex building. An alternate location will be the Employment office at the main gate - to be used if members of the press come to the plant or if the major disaster plan goes into effect. It will be the duty of the Information Chief to get a story released to the press, radio and TV as soon as possible. If the nature of the emergency does not permit such a story Immediately, and if the emergency is of such a large scale that it is obvious to persons outside the plant, then the Information Chief will contact all media, tell them briefly of the situation, and inform them that a story will be issued shortly. This is necessary to prevent the press from using such wild rumors that may be coming into their offices. In all probability, press representatives will already be contacting the plant since all such personnel are fully informed on the existence of this plan and the company personnel who operate it. Admission of Press Members into the Plant In all instances, no reporter or photographer will be allowed in the plant during the time an actual emergency exists. This is necessary to insure their safety. Press members who come to the plant will be headquartered in the Employment office where they may use the typewriters and phones, talk to the Information Chief, and have a press conference with the plant manager if necessary. After the emergency subsides, the possibility of admitting reporters or photographers to the scene will be considered on an individual basis of the particular emergency and situation. Release of Stories As is done for all news stories or photographs, no material will be released to the press without proper clearance by the plant manager or his designated representative. Stories con taining information on injured employees will not be released until the family of the employee has been notified. Exceptions to this policy may be taken by the Information Chief or his alternates if an extreme situation exists from demands by the press and if the plant manager can not be located. Such an exception will be a short statement for immediate use, always to be followed up by a full and complete story that has been authorized. This is necessary since some press members may have to print or broadcast news Immediately because of deadlines. Handling of Press Inquiries When calls from the press come to the plant, they first arrive at one of two points - (l) the plant switchboard run by PBX operators during regular, week-day hours, (2) the plant gates where calls are handled during off-hours and weekends and where press members may actually come. The personnel at these points--the PBX operators, gate receptionists, and sergeants-of-the guard, will be fully trained in the details of this plan. Such training will cover how to handle inquires from the press and what in dividuals to refer calls to for further information. 005200 SC LAM006410 Contacting Information Chief When Inquires come from members of the press, the Information Chief will be contacted through the procedure outlined above. During all plant emergencies or accidents, a representative of the Personnel Department automatically goes to the scene. If the situation merits the .release of a news story, this representative will contact the Information Chief. During off-hours and over weekends, this same representative from the Personnel Department is contacted on the call-out system for emergencies. TP/mh SC 005201 LAM006411 C. L. Gilmore Prod., Plant 2 MONSANTO CHEMICAL COMPANY Texas City, Texas BULLETIN NO. P-39 December 22, 1954 PRESS HANDLING PROCEDURE DURING PLANT EMERGENCIES I. Excerpt from Monsanto Chemical Company's "Management Guide" "A i24-hour protective system on Information should be established by general managers for the assistance of newspaper and radio station news editors; information on Monsanto contacts, including names and telephone numbers, should be furnished to newspaper and radio men. "Arrangements should be made so that the plant manager, or hie designated agent, will be immediately Informed of any untoward incidents within a plant, or anything of unusual nature bo which the attention of passers-by or nearby residents will be drawn. In the event of accidents, fire or other Happenings which eventually will come to the at tention of outsiders or newspapers much good will be developed if the plant manager immediately informs his newspaper and radio station contacts of the occurrence and supplies them with complete information at time of contact, or If complete information Is not then available, informs them he Is assembling such information for them and will pass it on as soon as available. So that major events can be handled efficiently and authoritatively, each plant man ager should instruct members of his management group and Other supervisory personnel in advance on the technique of such coverage In the event hd.ls not available. The time element always should be remembered." < II. Local Policy, Plan and Objectives The following plan and procedures will define, primarily, the role of the Personnel Department during a Plant Emergency. The primary object of the plan Is the preservation of em ployees1 lives and plant property. Secondly, consideration Is given to handling representatives of the Press who will, undoubtedly, be knocking at the gate. As used herein, the term "Plant Emergency" refers to any and all types of ac cidents which endanger our employees and our physical plant. The term encompasses accidents resulting from our own plant operations such as spills and fires - as well as accidents resultihg from conditions outside our immediate control; such as injuries to employees of contractors working within our plant. sc 005202 LAM006412 BULLETIN NO. P-39 December 22, 195^ A. General Scope To provide a coordinated network of thoroughly trained people who can act quickly and, with authority, handle the necessary by-products of such emergency with maxi mum speed and in the company's best interest. The Personnel Director will go directly to the scene and, from this spot, direct the rest of the Personnel staff in conformance with the scope of the emergency. A man will be stationed in the Personnel Department's offices In the Office Annex - the "Home Base" for "Operation Emergency." Other members of the Personnel Department will be stationed at the main gate house, available for instant service as directed. The services such a co ordinated group can give are numerous. They, to mention only a few, can call out nurses, switchboard operators, etc.; Investigate complaints from residents; take pic tures of the incident; handle the Press; break the news to families of the injured, when the employee's super visor is not available to do so, and give them whatever assistance necessary. Such service will free others and allow them to concentrate on controlling the emergency itself. By-products of such action will be the assurance that the Press will get an immediate and correct story of the incident. B. Specific Duties 1. Personnel Director (a) When a plant emergency occurs, he shall go directly to the scene. (b) , He shall size up the situation and call the man stati.oned at the Personnel Office and give him Instructions regarding any action to be taken by the rest of the department. For example, if a Monsanto employee has been killed or seriously injured, he will relay such Information to the man in the Personnel Office who. In turn, will examine the employee's personnel record, secure the name of the person to be notified In case of such accident and send a representative of the Personnel Department to notify them of the employee's Injury or death, if the employee's supervisor is not available. The Personnel Director may have a member of the Personnel staff come to the scene and take pictures. SC 005203 2- LAM006413 r sc L 'BULLETIN NO. P-39 December 22, 1954 (c) At the earliest possible time he shall consult with the Plant Manager or others In authority and prepare a statement for the Press. Such statement shall be called in to the various newspapers and radio stations as quickly as possible. If the Press or radio stations are represented in person and insist on an inter view, he shall arrange for the Plant Manager to talk with them as quickly as possible after the accident has occurred. 2. Representative at Personnel Office (a) To receive, coordinate and transmit into action the instructions received from the Personnel Director in the field. (b) To handle incoming calls from the Press and the Public, but shall not-give out any infor mation without prior clearance by the Personnel Director or some other authorized person. (c) To direct the activities of the other members of the Personnel staff in carrying out the duties arising out of the Plant Emergency. (d) He will have available the records on all per sonnel and will furnish information as needed regarding "next of kin"; "home addresses"; "phone numbers", etc. He shall act to see that the families of the injured are notified prior to any public release. (e) If complaints are received from residents in the immediate area regarding fumes or gas, he shall send a representative from the Personnel Department to investigate such complaints. (f) He shall assist in giving out information to the Press as soon as such information has been cleared by the proper authority. 3. Main Gate House Representatives (a) Shall handle all incoming calls from the Press and Public regarding the Plant Emergency. They shall not give out any information unless:.it has been cleared by the Personnel Director or some other authorized person. They shall take the name and phone number of the person calling, and, upon proper clearance, relay information concerning the emergency back to the person who has called as quickly as possible. -3- LAW\0064'14 BULLETIN NO. P-39 December 22, 1954 (b) They shall meet any representative of the Press at the gate and hold them there until instruc tions have been given otherwise. They shall designate, phones in the Employment Office and gate house for use by these representatives of the Press. (c) They shall act as liaison men in carrying out instructions given them from the scene or the Personnel Office. (d) They shall assist in calling all Press represent atives and representatives of the various radio stations as soon as information regarding the emergency has been cleared. 4. After Regular Office Hours l The sergeant of the guards will call a designated representative of the Personnel Department, who will immediately come,to the plant and go to the scene. He will size up the situation and call out members of the Personnel Department as needed. In all other respects the plan will operate as it would during the regular work day, depending upon the size and scope of the emergency. C. Procedure for Contacting the Press and Radio A letter has been written to all members of the Press and Radio in the area informing them of the pertipent provisions of this plan and giving them a list of phone numbers which they may call in case of an emergency at this plant. 05205 -4- uaM06415