Emergency Action Plans

It seems like recently, we keep hearing about disasters both natural and manmade. With disasters come emergency action plans, both for your work and your home. Emergency Action Plans are crucial to the safety of your employees in the event of a fire or any other emergency. Unless you are a company with 11 of fewer employees, you are required by OSHA to have both an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) and a Fire Prevention Plan. Emergency action plans should outline what to do before, during, and after an emergency. This includes what route should be taken to evacuate, based on where you are in the building; how you should react during this situation, and what to do once you are outside. Here are a few things you should include in your EAP:

• How to report a fire or other emergency
• How to evacuate, including what you should do based on the emergency i.e. fire, earthquake, floor etc. and the assigned exit routes
• Procedure to follow for employees who remain to operate critical plant operations before they evacuate
• How to account for all employees after evacuation
• Procedures to be followed by employees performing rescue or medial duties
• Name and/or job title of all employees who may be contacted by employees who need more information about the plan or an explanation of their duties under the plan

Hopefully you never have to utilize your plan, but it is best to be prepared for the worst.