It doesn't matter the type of emergency, having a plan before it occurs may save your life, your home, property, business, etc. Having a plan in place will help you remain calm in the event of an emergency. That's always the first step in any crisis or emergency - stay calm. You will think clearer if you are not panicking. This is true regardless if the emergency is happening at home or at work. For this blog, we are going to discuss that emergency plan you should have in place for your business.
It could be the tornado siren sounding or your own fire alarm ringing. Regardless of the type of emergency, your employees need to be prepared for the worst. They need to understand the alarm signals when a crisis occurs. They must know quickly what to do and where they need to go or need to direct other employees, customers, etc to go. If they are prepared, chances for a quick and successful evacuation or shelter in place highly increase.
I was at a hotel once on a road trip I had taken. There was severe weather and they were suggesting we take immediate cover. We went down to the front desk to ask where their shelter in place spot was along with about 50 other guests that were already there. The front desk manager had no idea!!! She had to call her boss, who I'm not even kidding, had to CALL HER BACK! He didn't even know! This was a large 4 story hotel with full capacity and they had no plan in place. Needless to say, the panic of the front desk manager was contagious and the mood in the lobby changed as it continued to fill with guests who wanted to the know the emergency plan and who were then starting to panic themselves. Luckily in this case, the severe weather never hit where we were and all were safe. But it was complete chaos for about 20 minutes. If an evacuation or the weather turned, we all would have been at risk because staff had no idea what to do. This is avoidable.
An Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is a written document required by OSHA for most industries and businesses. The purpose of the EAP is to facilitate and organize employer's and employee's actions during work place emergencies. This was very obviously missing at this hotel. Not having a plan actually endangered every guest and employee at that hotel that night. Had there been a loss, they could be found negligent and could have been looking at numerous liability claims. Again, This is avoidable.
Here are some minimum requirements you should include in your action plan:
A means of reporting fires and other emergencies, such as tornados, to all employees or customers quickly.
Document evacuation/shelter in place procedures and emergency escape assignments.
Procedures for employees who must remain to operate or shut down critical equipment before they evacuate.
Procedures to account for all employees and/or customers after the emergency evacuation has been completed.
Identification of rescue and medical services/duties
Communication to all employees of the names and/or job titles of people who can be contacted for more information.
And a few good practices to train your employees on:
The alarm systems used for evacuation and other actions. The alarm used for different actions should be distinctive.
The evacuation plans at least annually.
the communication plans in multiple languages (if needed). You want to make sure every employee understands the action plan.
The location of an alternate communications center if there is a fire or explosion.
Emergency situations can arise in a matter of seconds. Let's make sure your staff are prepared if it happens to your business. Let's take a look at your action plan - does it include the items listed above? It might be the perfect time to evaluate your emergency procedures.
Comments