An emergency action plan covers designated actions employers and employees must take to ensure employee safety from fire and other emergencies. An emergency action plan is a great way to protect yourself, your employees, and your business during an emergency.
Putting together a comprehensive emergency action plan that deals with all types of issues specific to your worksite is not difficult. You may find it beneficial to include your management team and employees in the process. Explain your goal of protecting lives and property in the event of an emergency. Their participation and input are crucial to the plan’s success.
When developing your emergency action plan, it’s a good idea to look at a wife variety of potential emergencies that could occur in your workplace. It should be tailored to your worksite and include information about all potential sources of emergencies. Developing an emergency action plan means you should do a hazard assessment to determine what, if any, physical or chemical hazards in your workplaces could cause an emergency. If you have more than one worksite, each site should have an emergency action plan.
At a minimum, your emergency action plan must include the following:
- A preferred method for reporting fires and other emergencies
- An evacuation policy and procedure
- Emergency escape procedures and route assignments, such as floor plans, workplace maps, and safe or refuge areas
- Names, titles, departments and telephone numbers of individuals both within and outside your company to contact for additional information or explanation of duties and responsibilities under the emergency plan
- Procedures for employees who remain to perform or shut down critical plant operations, operate fire extinguishers, or perform other essential services that cannot be shut down for every emergency alarm before evacuating
- Rescue and medical duties for any workers designated to perform them
You may want to consider designating an assembly location and procedures to account for all employees after an evacuation. Your plan must include a way to alert employees, including disabled workers, to evacuate or take other action, and how to report emergencies, as required.
Keep in mind that a disorganized evacuation can result in confusion, injury and property damage. That is why developing an emergency action plan is important!
If you experience a disaster, give Guarantee Restoration a call at 1-800-349-4357.
