Partner Article

Setting Up Your Emergency Plans

It isn’t exactly a fun aspect of the job, and there is likely to be some complaining from employees, but you need to make sure you have a plan in case of an emergency situation at the office. Emergencies like fires, tornados and earthquakes don’t often come with much warning and even when they do, a clear plan will help keep employees safe. Everyone in your office must be informed about your company’s emergency plans and you need to keep them updated on emergency policies.

Being prepared is the best way to combat these unpredictable dangers. Be sure that you follow the fire marshal’s regulations and consider bringing in a specialist to help you decide what your emergency plans should be. If you choose to write your own preparedness guide, then you should use helpful resources like those from OSHA to make sure you have the highest standards and your plan is going to be effective.

Use Maps

Every room should have a map of your office space and/or building in it. The map is a great reference for employees or visitors to see where the closest exits are and where they should go in the event of a tornado or earthquake. Use different colors to guide people to the closest exists or the closest safe spots where they will be safe.

Test Equipment

You should have emergency equipment scattered throughout your office. Emergency lights should be in place, fire extinguishers should be on every floor and you should keep quick escape equipment like escape ladders handy for people to use. The equipment all needs to be tested on a regular basis to make sure it works properly. Fire protection is one of the most important aspects of office safety, especially if there is a kitchen of any sort on the premise, so pay special attention to extinguishers and smoke alarms.

Training and Drills

Not only should you be testing the safety equipment, but you should also be testing your employees. You should schedule training and drills on a regular basis to help ensure that everyone knows where he or she is supposed to go and how to properly use the safety equipment around the office. Imagine you are back in elementary school and the fire alarm is going off. You need to be sure your employees know where to go and when to go there. You might even consider assigning roles to certain employees to make sure the process goes as smoothly as possible.

Preparedness Meetings

If you can’t have training and drills on a regular basis, then you need to have preparedness meetings at least once a year. Take the time to explain each plan to employees and answer any questions they have. You can also take this opportunity to update your plans as your office grows and changes.

Keeping your employees safe in the event of an emergency should be one of your top priorities, so be sure everyone knows what the plan is and how they should react to each type of emergency. Have fire marshals and other professionals evaluate your plans and give you any pointers. Remember to keep your safety equipment in working condition and your employees trained in safety practices, and you can work soundly knowing your office is prepared for anything.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Danielle M. .