When an emergency strikes, will you and your employees be ready to respond? Do you have an emergency action plan in place? Even if you have a written plan in place, will everyone react according to the plan?
Having a plan is critical, especially in an emergency, but it won’t do you any good if your employees don’t know how to respond! You can help lead the fight by effectively communicating and training your employees on what the plan is and how to respond in case of emergency.
You have to begin with a comprehensive emergency action plan. This plan should consider factors such as evacuations, exit routes, and taking shelter. Don’t forget to include procedures for responding to fires, chemical spills, severe weather, workplace violence, and other types of emergencies your workplace could be at risk for. Your plan should be created with your facilities and your people in mind. Make sure it addresses the unique hazards your workplace may present.
Your emergency action plan should:
- Be in writing and kept in the workplace, available for employees to review.
- Describe actions that must be taken to ensure employee safety in emergencies.
- Include floor plans or maps to show emergency escape routes.
- Explain to employees how they should respond in emergency situations.
- Cover reasonably expected emergencies.
Once your plan is in place, you need to turn your attention to the everyday heroes – your employees! The plan is just a written document – your employees are the ones who will bring it to life. Arm them with the tools to effectively and safely respond in an emergency. Take time to clearly articulate the plan details to them – not just during their onboarding but provide refreshers to veteran employees as well. Practice and test the plan to ensure employees will be ready to respond.
Your plan should not be a static document. As time goes on, things change. You may have new equipment, rearranged a section of your facility, opened a new location, etc. These changes to your operations also impact how you’ll respond in an emergency, so it is important to make sure your emergency action plan accounts for them.
Developing a comprehensive emergency action plan is only the first step. To keep your workplace safe, you also need to effectively communicate the plan and train your employees on how to respond.
