Hazardous materials are chemical substances, which if released or misused can
pose a threat to the environment or health. Recently, various type of crisis or
emergency due to hazardous materials handling had occurred at the workplace
due to human negligence and weaknesses which causes loss of lives and
property. Accidents at the workplace involving hazardous materials are most
often due to release of chemical substances in plants. Actions have to be taken
to address the crisis to prevent unauthorized access and to protect the
installation and equipment. These initial tasks can be undertaken by Emergency
Response Teams (ERT). The ERT is the first responder in emergencies while
waiting for assistance from the relevant authorities such as the Fire and Rescue
Department to deal with the crisis at hand. Hence, the paper aims to highlight
the role of the ERT in managing accidents at the workplace involving hazardous
material.
