How Do I Plan For Workplace Emergencies and Evacuations?

Do you want to know some of the top ways to keep your company safe in the midst of an emergency?

Planning for workplace emergencies should begin on day 1 of your business operations. While no company can anticipate every single emergency, planning ahead can give you a roadmap forward and mitigate damage. It might even save lives.

So, you need to know what you should plan for to protect employee safety and keep your business running. Below, we’ll go into our top tips. Keep reading to learn more!

Identify Your Company’s Greatest Risks

As you launch your company, you should sit down with your board and identify the greatest workplace emergencies your company may face.

This will depend on several factors. If your company puts your employees in contact with heavy-duty machinery, you’ll need to plan for emergencies related to machine industries. Your company may also operate in places where natural disasters, such as tornados or hurricanes, are common.

Then, go through each of the potential risks and determine an exact protocol for your employees to take.

Have Shelter Areas

Every workplace should have a place employees can go to if there’s ever a tornado or other natural disaster.

The best tornado shelters are underground. If your building doesn’t have a basement, congregate a room that doesn’t have external walls. Stay away from windows, glass, and items that could land on people and cause damage.

If you rent your office space, ask the building’s owner if there’s an area people usually go to in case of a natural disaster. Make sure all your employees know how to access that space when needed.

Form Evacuation Plans for Workplace Emergencies

You should always know your evacuation policy, as should your employees. Each floor of your building should have a map that shows the location of exits so people can get out faster in case of a fire or other emergency.

You might want to designate a meeting place outside your building. That way, once the employees have evacuated, you can meet up and determine whether everyone got out.

You should hold occasional fire drills. Practice leaving the building in a calm and orderly fashion. Time how long it takes everyone to get out. Alter your evacuation plan if it takes people too long to get out.

Get a Defibrillator for Every Floor

Every floor of your office should have a defibrillator.

Defibrillators will help you if someone goes into cardiac arrest while in your building. They come with specific instructions in simple English. If any of your workers speak another language,

If anyone needs the defibrillator, someone should go get the device while someone else calls 911. It’s important your employees know not to waste any time. A person’s chance of survival goes down rapidly after their heart stops beating. As such, you should keep your defibrillator in a central location and show everyone where it is.

Get emergency evacuation training for you and your workers!

Want to Learn More?

Now that you’ve read this guide, you’re ready to start preparing for a wider variety of workplace emergencies.

You should hold periodic emergency training for your employees. That way, you can make sure crucial information gets passed on to new hires. You should also always look for better ways to improve your emergency plans.

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