When it comes to emergency response, routines and procedures can get rusty because they are seldom used. Here’s how you can make your emergency preparation safety program the best it can be.
Maybe you live in Tornado Alley. Perhaps you’re situated along the East Coast of the United States, where hurricanes are common. Or maybe you just want to be ready in case of a major power outage.
Whatever your particular situation, preparing your facility for an emergency goes beyond having an emergency action plan. You’ll also need to walk through different mock disaster plans and hold drills to make sure employees know what to do should the worst happen.
Why is this important? Because emergency response routines and procedures are usually rarely used, so they tend to get rusty. A good way to counter this tendency is to make sure employees participate in training, drills and exercises frequently. The more often your employees practice these procedures, the more likely it is that they will remember what to do in the event of an emergency—even if they don’t practice response skills every day.
Emergency Prep Training: Drill Exercises
Performing regular drill exercises can prepare workplaces for emergencies like chemical spills, fires, severe weather, toxic fumes and electrocution.
But safety managers should think beyond preparing for basic emergencies, such as making sure they have clear exit routes or the tools and supplies on-site to clean up a spill, and also consider the risk of business interruptions that stem from natural disasters, acts of terrorism and workplace violence. Taking this kind of “all-hazard” approach to drill exercises can increase your efficiency and simplify training for your workers.
In addition to identifying possible workplace risks, emergency response planning should clearly define employee roles and responsibilities, establish a chain of command, and mark evacuation routes and assembly points.
While having an emergency response plan on paper is a step toward being prepared for an emergency, without open lines of communication, training, drills and exercises, employees may not have the skills necessary to instinctively handle emergency situations. For this reason, it’s worth making sure all employees know their roles during an emergency, as this helps to ensure a more successful and safe response.
Is your facility ready for bad weather? Read Severe Weather Preparedness for the Workplace and download our checklist.
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Just a comment: I apreciare that we must not only read but we must practice exactly what must be done for emergency situations. Knowinh what to do ca save lives
59Thank you for your comment, Belinda. We very much agree!
44I learned more imortant infor concerning these issues to better address and understand htem
45We're very glad to hear it, Belinda. Thank you again!
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