U.S. Laws & Regulations

• Regulations.gov is a one-stop Web site to find, view, and comment on Federal regulations and other Federal actions.

Title IX of Public Law 110-53

• Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 (Full Text, 286 pages)

Americans with Disabilities Act

• Americans with Disabilities Act Home Page, U. S. Department of Justice
• ADA Standards, United States Access Board

Occupational Safety & Health

• Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)
• OSHA's Emergency Preparedness and Response Page
• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.35-37 - Means of Egress
• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.38 - Emergency Action Plans
• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.35 Compliance with alternate exit-route codes
• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.165, Employee Alarm Systems
• OSHA's Evacuation & Shelter-in-Place page
• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.151, Medical Services and First Aid
• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.156, Fire Brigades
• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030, Bloodborne Pathogens
• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146, Permit-Required Confined Spaces
• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120, Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response
• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119, Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals
• Training Requirements in OSHA Standards and Training Guidelines, OSHA 2254

Environmental Laws & Regulations

• U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Laws & Regulations
• U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Emergency Response

State Laws & Regulations

Contact the state to determine safety and health, homeland security, and environmental laws and regulations as well as legally enforceable building, life safety, and fire codes. Also, determine if there are any county or city ordinances, regulations, or amendments to state adopted codes and standards. Contact your local public agencies including law enforcement, fire department, building official, emergency management agency, or the local administrative offices.

• State Occupational Safety and Health Plans (OSHA)
• Health and Environmental Agencies of U.S. States and Territories (EPA)
• Good Samaritan and (Automated External Defibrillator) AED Legislation, and Case Law by state (Less Stress Instructional Services)

European Union

• EU Law

Codes & Standards

A code is "a standard that is an extensive compilation of provisions covering broad subject matter or that is suitable for adoption into law independently of other codes and standards." [NFPA] The National Electrical Code and Life Safety Code® are examples of codes.

“A standard is a document, which is in a form generally suitable for adoption into law or adoption by a public or private organization. Mandatory provisions are located in the body of the document, and nonmandatory provisions and explanatory material are located in an annex, appendix, footnote, or fine-print note.” [NFPA]

“A standard is a document that provides requirements, specifications, guidelines or characteristics that can be used consistently to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for their purpose.” [ISO]

Many laws and regulations incorporate standards by referencing them. For example, many Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations incorporate fire protection and life safety requirements by referencing standards published by the National Fire Protection Association. Many states and other political jurisdictions incorporate model codes and standards such as those published by ASTM International, the International Code Council, or NFPA into their building, life safety, and fire prevention codes. Referenced codes and standards then become legal requirements subject to any amendments within the regulation or statutory relief within the enabling legislation.

American National Standards Institute

• The Homeland Security Standards Database (HSSD) provides one-stop access to standards critical to the jobs of first responders, code officials, and others charged with keeping America safe.
• American National Standards Institute ANSI's eStandards Store enables searching for standards from ANSI, ISO, IEC, ASTM and other standards publishers by keyword or document number)

ASIS International (free for members)

• Auditing Management Systems: Risk, Resilience, Security and Continuity Guidance for Application
• ASIS/BSI BCM.01-2010 - Business Continuity Management Systems Requirements with Guidance for Use
• ASIS PAP.1-2012 Security Management Standard Physical Asset Protection
• ASIS PSC.1-2012 Management System for Quality of Private Security Company Operations-Requirements with Guidance
• ASIS PSC.2-2012 Conformity Assessment and Auditing Management Systems for Quality of Private Security Company Operations
• ASIS SHRM WVPI.1-2011 Workplace Violence Prevention and Intervention
• ASIS SPC 1-2009 Organizational Resilience: Security, Preparedness and Continuity Management Systems - Requirements with Guidance for Use
• ASIS SPC.4-2012 Maturity Model for the Phase Implementation of the Organizational Resilience Management System
• Risk Assessment

ASTM International (ASTM) (purchase required)

• ASTM E2238-02 Standard Guide for Evacuation Route Diagrams
• ASTM E2413-09 Standard Guide for Hospital Preparedness and Response
• ASTM E2640-10 Standard Guide for Resource Management in Emergency Management and Homeland Security
• ASTM E2668-10 Emergency Operations Center Development
• ASTM E2915-13 Standard Guide for Emergency Operations Center Management

Canadian Standards Association

• Z1600, Emergency and continuity management Program (purchase required)

Emergency Management Accreditation Program

• The EMAP Emergency Management Standard is the set of 64 standards used as criteria for the voluntary accreditation of local, state, federal, higher education, and tribal  emergency management programs.

International Code Council (ICC)

• International Fire Code, International Code Council, Inc. (purchase required)

ISACA

• Standards for IS Audit and Assurance, ISACA (Previously known as the Information Systems Audit and Control Association)

International Standards Organization (ISO) [purchase required]

• ISO 19011-2011 - Guidelines for auditing management systems
• ISO 22300-2012 - Terminology

• ISO 22301-2012 - Business continuity management systems - Requirements
• ISO 22313-2012 - Business continuity management systems — Guidance
• ISO 22320-2011 - Emergency management - Requirements for incident response
• ISO 22325-2016 - Emergency management - Guidelines for capability assessment
• ISO 22397-2014 - Guidelines for establishing partnering arrangements

• ISO 22398-2013 - Guidelines for Exercises
• ISO 31000 - Risk management
• ISO/IEC 27001 - Information security management

National Fire Protection Association (free online access)

• NFPA 1: Fire Code
• NFPA 72: National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code®
• NFPA 101: Life Safety Code®, National Fire Protection Association (free online access)
• NFPA 472: Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents
• NFPA 600: Standard on Industrial Fire Brigades
• NFPA 601: Standard for Security Services in Fire Loss Prevention
• NFPA 730, Guide for Premises Security, National Fire Protection Association
• NFPA 731, Standard for the Installation of Electronic Premises Security Systems, National Fire Protection Association
• NFPA 1006: Standard for Technical Rescuer Professional Qualifications
• NFPA 1072: Standard for Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Emergency Response Personnel Professional Qualifications
• NFPA 1081: Standard for Industrial Fire Brigade Member Professional Qualifications
• NFPA 1600: Standard on Continuity, Emergency, and Crisis Management
• NFPA 1620: Standard for Pre-Incident Planning

• NFPA 1670: Standard on Operations and Training for Technical Search and Rescue Incidents

Landslide

• Landslide Hazards Program, United States Geological Survey
• The Landslide Handbook—A Guide to Understanding Landslides, Lynn M. Highland, United States Geological Survey, and Peter Bobrowsky, Geological Survey of Canada

Volcanoes

• Volcano Hazards Program, U.S. Geological Survey
• Volcanoes, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Emergency Preparedness and Response

Tsunami

• U.S. Tsunami Warning Centers, NOAA/National Weather Service

Weather

• National Weather Service
• Storm Prediction Center, National Weather Service
• National Severe Storms Laboratory
• National Climatic Data Center
• Preparedness Bulletin: Arctic Freeze & Winter Storms, Preparedness, LLC

Thunderstorms & Lightning

• Preparedness Bulletin: Thunderstorms, Lightning & Tornadoes, Preparedness, LLC
• Severe Weather 101, National Severe Storms Laboratory (Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, Lightning, Floods, Hail, Wind, Winter)
• Lightning Safety Tips and Resources, National Weather Service
• National Lightning Safety Institute, non-product advocate of lightning safety for people and structures
• Struckbylightning.org
• Lightning Protection Institute
• NFPA 780, Standard for the Installation of Lightning Protection Systems

Review the Prevention & Mitigation Resources for protection from natural hazards and resources for the protection of computer data centers and information technology equipment.

Review "Property Loss Prevention" Resources for a link to FM Global Data Sheets (Download DS 5-11 "Lightning and Surge Protection.")

Tornadoes

• Preparedness Bulletin: Thunderstorms, Lightning & Tornadoes, Preparedness, LLC
• Severe Weather 101, National Severe Storms Laboratory (Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, Lightning, Floods, Hail, Wind, Winter)
• Storm Prediction Center, National Weather Service
• Monthly and Annual U.S. Tornado Summaries, National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center
• Enhanced F Scale for Tornado Damage, National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center
• Thunderstorms, Tornadoes, Lightning... Nature's Most Violent Storms, A Preparedness Guide, NOAA, National Weather Service
• Design and Construction Guidance for Community Safe Rooms, FEMA 361
• Tornado Protection: Selecting Refuge Area in Buildings, FEMA 431

Terrorism

• FEMA 452 - Methodology for Preparing Threat Assessments for Commercial Buildings

• McGraw-Hill Homeland Security Handbook, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
• Harmonized Threat and Risk Assessment Methodology, Royal Canadian Mounted Police
• Tools and Resources to Help Businesses Plan, Prepare, and Protect from an Attack, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Workplace Violence

• Dealing with Workplace Violence: A Guide for Agency Planners, United States Office of Personnel Management
• Workplace Violence—Issues in Response, Federal Bureau of Investigation

Review the “Codes & Standards” and “Risk Assessment” tabs for additional guidance on loss prevention and hazard mitigation.

Property Loss Prevention

• FM Global Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets, FM Global (Registration Required)
  Property Loss Prevention Data Sheets are engineering guidelines written to help reduce the chance of property loss due to fire, weather conditions and failure of electrical or mechanical equipment, and incorporate loss experience, research results, input from consensus standards committees, equipment manufacturers and others.
• NFPA 601, Standard for Security Services in Fire Loss Prevention
• Structural Lightning Safety, National Lightning Safety Institute
• Loss Prevention, Hartford Steam Boiler (part of Munich RE)
• Loss Prevention and Preventive Maintenance, Hartford Steam Boiler (part of Munich RE)
• Severe weather and disaster preparedness, Hartford Steam Boiler (part of Munich RE)

Natural Hazards

• Protect Your Property from High Winds, FEMA
• Reducing the Risks of Nonstructural Earthquake Damage, FEMA E-74
• National Earthquake Technical Assistance Program, FEMA (training courses, technical assistance, tool development, and support)

Physical & Operational Security

• Prevention Resource Finder, U. S. Department of Homeland Security one-stop shop for federal resources to prevent targeted violence and terrorism
• NFPA 730, Guide for Premises Security, National Fire Protection Association
• NFPA 731, Standard for the Installation of Electronic Premises Security Systems, National Fire Protection Association
• Who Protects Your Mail? Guide to Mail Center Security, U.S. Postal Inspection Service
• Best Practices for Safe Mail Handling, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Interagency Security Committee
• Dealing with Workplace Violence: A Guide for Agency Planners, United States Office of Personnel Management
• Workplace Violence—Issues in Response, Federal Bureau of Investigation

Information Technology/Computer Security

• Computer Security Resource Center, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Computer Security Division, Special Publications (800 Series)
• Information Security Handbook: A Guide for Managers, National Institute of Standards and Technology, SP 800-100
• Information Security: Guide for Conducting Risk Assessments, National Institute of Standards and Technology, SP 800-30 Revisiion 1
• NFPA 75, Standard for the Protection of Information Technology Equipment

Terrorism

• FEMA 426 - Reference Manual to Mitigate Potential Terrorist Attacks Against Buildings
• FEMA 427 - Primer for Design of Commercial Buildings to Mitigate Terrorist Attacks
• FEMA 430 - Site and Urban Design for Security: Guidance against Potential Terrorist Attacks
• FEMA 459 - Incremental Protection for Existing Commercial Buildings from Terrorists Attack: Providing Protection to People and Buildings
• Protecting Buildings From a Biological or Chemical Attack: Actions to Take Before or During a Release, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory PUB-51959, January 10, 2003
• Guidance for Filtration and Air-Cleaning Systems to Protect Building Environments from Airborne Chemical, Biological, or Radiological Attacks, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Guidance for Protecting Building Environments from Airborne Chemical, Biological, or Radiological Attacks, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Publication No. 2002-139, 2002

General Information

• NFPA 1600: Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity/Continuity of Operations Programs
• NFPA 1620: Standard for Pre-Incident Planning

• NFPA 1: Fire Code
• NFPA 72: National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code®
• NFPA 101: Life Safety Code®, National Fire Protection Association (free online access)

• Ready Business, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• Emergency Management Guide for Business & Industry, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA 141, 1993 (67 pages) [good document at the time it was published]
• Ready.gov, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• Emergency Preparedness, U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

Special Events

• Traffic Management for Planned Special Events, U. S. Dept. of Transportation
• IS-15 B Special Events Contingency Planning for Public Safety Agencies, Independent Study Course, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Management Institute
• Special Events Contingency Planning Job Aids Manual, Federal Emergency Management Agency (257 pages)

Emergency Planning for Individuals with Disabilities

• Disability.gov, Quick links, news, events, and search tools on emergency preparedness
• Fact Sheet on Obtaining and Using Employee Medical Information as Part of Emergency Evacuation Procedures, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
• People with disabilities, Resources from the National Fire Protection Association including Emergency Evacuation Planning Guide For People with Disabilities and other resources.
• National Council on Disability, Emergency management findings and recommendations
• Employers’ Guide to Including Employees with Disabilities in Emergency Evacuation Plans, Job Accommodation Network

Protective Actions for Life Safety (Evacuation, Lockdown, Shelter-in-Place)

• Preparedness Bulletin: Protective Actions for Life Safety, Preparedness, LLC (provides guidance on evacuation, lockdown, sheltering, and shelter-in-place)
• OSHA's Evacuation & Shelter-in-Place page
• Evacuation Planning Matrix, Occupational Safety & Health Administration
• Evacuation Plans and Procedures eTool, Occupational Safety & Health Administration
• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.35-37 - Means of Egress
• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.38 - Emergency Action Plans
• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.35 - Compliance with alternate exit-route codes
• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.165 - Employee Alarm Systems
• Design Guidance for Shelters and Safe Rooms, FEMA 453

Bomb Threats & Suspicious Packages

• Bomb Threat Call Procedures, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• Who Protects Your Mail? Guide to Mail Center Security, U.S. Postal Inspection Service
• Best Practices for Safe Mail Handling, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Interagency Security Committee

Fire

Review “Laws & Regulations” and "Codes & Standards" for emergency planning requirements.

• NFPA 600: Standard on Industrial Fire Brigades
• NFPA 1081: Standard for Industrial Fire Brigade Member Professional Qualifications
• OSHA's Emergency Preparedness and Response Page
• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.156, Fire Brigades
• Fire Service Features of Buildings and Fire Protection Systems, Occupational Safety & Health Administration, Publication 3256-07N

Hazardous Materials

Review “Laws & Regulations” and "Codes & Standards" for emergency planning requirements.

• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120, Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response
• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119, Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals
• NFPA 472: Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents
• NFPA 1072: Standard for Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Emergency Response Personnel Professional Qualifications
• Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response
• Hazardous Materials Fusion Center (Hazmat Fusion Center is a one-stop shop for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of information about hazmat emergency response.)
• U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Emergency Response
• National Response Center (reporting oil and chemical spills)
• Emergency Response Guidebook, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, (includes links to download the guide, data files, mobile app, and many other hazardous materials related resources)
• WISER (Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders) WISER is a system designed to assist first responders in hazardous material incidents. WISER provides a wide range of information on hazardous substances, including substance identification support, physical characteristics, human health information, and containment and suppression advice. Links to web-based information and apps.
• EU Seveso Directive - Prevention, preparedness and response
  The Directive now applies to more than 10 000 industrial establishments in the European Union where dangerous substances are used or stored in large quantities, mainly in the chemical, petrochemical, logistics and metal refining sectors.
• Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at Local Level: a Process for Responding to Technological Accidents, The APELL Handbook, published by the United Nations Environment Programme Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Branch, provides the basic concepts for the development of emergency response plans at the local level, with an emphasis on community awareness of potential dangers and preparedness for all contingencies.

Medical

• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.151, Medical Services and First Aid
• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1030, Bloodborne Pathogens
• Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), Safety and Health Topics pages by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration
• Model Plans and Programs for the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens and Hazard Communications Standards, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Publication 3186
• Good Samaritan, AED Legislation, and Case Law (by state) [Commercial site: Less Stress Instructional Services]

Natural Disasters

• Natural Disasters and Weather Emergencies, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Environmental considerations when planning and preparing for natural disasters and response and recovery after)
• FloodSmart.gov, National Flood Insurance Program, (FEMA)

Rescue

• NFPA 1006: Standard for Technical Rescuer Professional Qualifications
• NFPA 1670: Standard on Operations and Training for Technical Search and Rescue Incidents

• OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146, Permit-Required Confined Spaces

Terrorism

• Tools and Resources to Help Businesses Plan, Prepare, and Protect from an Attack, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Workplace Violence

• Active Shooter Preparedness, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• Active Shooter: How to Respond Educational Booklet, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• Dealing with Workplace Violence: A Guide for Agency Planners, United States Office of Personnel Management
• Workplace Violence—Issues in Response, Federal Bureau of Investigation