KEY POINT

Understand the risks during an evacuation or SIP or an incident requiring both.

All protective actions involve some degree of risk. In order to be considered appropriate, the protective action must carry less risk than the risk from the hazard.

Risks resulting from evacuation include:

In areas of high population density, a large-scale evacuation could cause congestion and gridlock on the roads, rendering the evacuation ineffective
If not completed, evacuation could cause the evacuees to be exposed to the hazard
Risks arise as a result of the mode of transportation chosen by the evacuees
Weather conditions could change; evacuation may become ineffective
Evacuations involving the elderly or people with special needs could cause these populations to become emotionally agitated, might result in their injury