Developing an Evacuation Plan for Your Business

Guarantee Restoration is in the business of helping you get back on your feet following unforeseen disasters, but in an ideal world, we would be able to help you prevent these disasters altogether. While we may not be able to stop that tropical storm or fire from ravaging your business, we can help you prepare. From content documentation to 3D imaging, there is a lot that we can do to help you and your business weather a storm, but perhaps the most important step you can take is implementing an evacuation plan to ensure every member of your team can reach safety.

Steps in Creating an Evacuation Plan

A successful evacuation plan will follow a pretty straightforward formula. To ensure that all your bases are covered, the plan should include all of the following:

1. Determine All Situations in Which an Evacuation Would be Necessary - By outlining this information, you will remove all doubt for employees of when the evacuation protocol should be followed.
2. Assign Roles and Responsibilities - Who will initiate the evacuation process? Who will assist customers out of the facility? At the time of disaster, confusion quickly leads to missed steps and potentially deadly outcomes. Make sure everyone has a clear understanding of their responsibilities in an emergency.
3. Outline Evacuation Routes - Establish multiple evacuation routes for your business, both primary and secondary. Ensure that these routes are clearly marked, lit, and free of any obstacles. Make all employees aware of the plan and provide all relevant information such as maps and emergency phone numbers.
4. Establish Procedures for Those with Disabilities - Your employees or customers may include individuals with disabilities. Your evacuation plans should take these individuals into account by ensuring that routes are handicap accessible, signs are clear and legible, and procedures have been established for those who may need assistance.
5. Have a Post-Evacuation Plan - What should employees do and where should they go following an evacuation? In order to account for everyone’s safety and quickly identify anyone who may still need assistance exiting the building, a process to account for everyone post-evacuation should also be in place.

Preparing Your Business for Disaster

Disasters may come out of nowhere, but that doesn’t mean we can’t prepare for them. The experts at Guarantee Restoration are well-versed in unforeseen events and how to help businesses overcome them quickly. Safeguard your business and your livelihood by contacting us to learn more about pre-loss planning.