In a perfect world, you wouldn’t have to worry about emergency situations like fires, earthquakes, data breaches or active shooters. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world. Therefore, it’s absolutely critical that your commercial facility has an emergency action plan that covers all potential threats. In addition, all of your team members need to know what actions to take should an emergency occur. If you’ve been putting off developing an emergency action plan, it’s time to get to work. Here are three important factors to consider.
1.) Make sure your emergency action plan (EAP) is OSHA compliant. OSHA defines an EAP as a plan “to facilitate and organize employer and employee actions during workplace emergencies.” Any organization with more than 10 employees is required by law to have a written document that everyone can access. All plans must include:
- A means of reporting fires and other emergencies
- Emergency evacuation plans and documented escape routes
- Procedures to account for all employees in the event of an emergency
- Rescue and medical duties for employees who can perform them
This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it does give you an idea of some important factors to consider. OSHA has a helpful online tool that can help you develop your own EAP. To access the tool, click here.
2.) Make sure your EAP includes ALL potential hazards. The word “emergency” is an umbrella term that covers everything from floods and tornados to terrorist threats and active shooter situations. The NFPA 1600® includes a list of all the potential hazards you need to consider. It’s also the industry’s “Bible” in terms of employee safety. You can purchase and download a copy here.
3.) Participate in emergency drills regularly. Even if you already have an EAP, it won’t do you any good if your team doesn’t know how to react in the event of an emergency. Make sure all of your employees are on the same page. You can do this by hosting annual or bi-annual emergency drills. You may also want to consider bringing in experts for hands-on training in CPR, the use of AEDs, and even basic self-defense. Training videos and manuals are helpful, but nothing beats personal experience.
With the year winding down, now is a great time to reevaluate your current EAP. We hope you never experience an emergency, but it’s important to be prepared just in case.