Six Things Every Employee Should Know About Emergencies

From fires to chemical spills to damaging storms, emergencies of various kinds can occur in any workplace at any time. Without proper training on emergency response, employees may panic, freeze or hastily take actions that may further complicate the situation.

In "Get Everyone on the Same Page" (May 2014  Occupational Health & Safety), New Pig's Karen Hamel suggests that to prepare for emergencies, every employee should be able to answer the following six questions:

1. What is an emergency? Different workers perform different tasks and have different perspectives, so their perceptions of what constitutes an emergency may vary. All employees must understand that emergencies take many forms and prepare for various emergency situations that are likely to occur in their workplace.
2. What is an emergency action plan? Employees should be aware that a plan exists and understand how it helps keep everyone safe in the event of an emergency. Additionally, all workers should know where to access copies of the plan.
3. Who is in charge? Roles and responsibilities to be taken during an emergency should be established before an emergency occurs. Employees should know what their own responsibilities will be and to whom they should report during an emergency. Clear lines of authority for evacuation and emergency response strategies should be established and communicated to all employees.
4. What do I need to do when there is an emergency? Employees must be trained on how to react in the event of an emergency to minimize uncertainty. All workers must know of at least two ways to exit the building, as well as where to go after exiting and to whom they should report. Employees with critical emergency response roles must be able to perform them as if they were part of their daily tasks. Emergency drills must be not only performed, but also evaluated to determine if some individuals need additional training.
5. Who can talk to the media? Establish a media plan that lists names of facility personnel who will speak with media representatives during an emergency. Such a plan must also include policies for posting information about the emergency on social media and should document a means of handling media requests.
6. How is my facility going to recover from this? By establishing a business continuity plan and sharing it with all employees, management can eliminate any uncertainty workers may have regarding whether their jobs will exist in the emergency's aftermath. Business continuity plans can also establish roles and responsibilities for alternate employees to account for the absence of workers who may need to take time off to rebuild their homes after a natural disaster.

Read Hamel's article here.