The unexpected, the unheard of, what “could never happen here”, all must be taken into account in the development of emergency preparedness plans. When creating HVA rules and regulations for your facility, there are four main components to consider that can help ensure compliance. It is essential to assemble a disaster preparedness committee to involve a variety of people from the organization who have the authority to act and are able to fulfill the expected roles and responsibilities. During an emergency, confusion can aggravate damage, so effectively communicating your facility's disaster response plan to staff ensures greater organization and reduces the risk of further damage.
Be sure to inform your colleagues and staff about the scenarios for which the plan is being prepared, the procedures that will be implemented to support it, and the leaders who will be responsible for executing the plan if the situation ever arises. Conducting an internal preparedness program that reviews these scenarios and outlines the steps to take in an emergency can be a vital part of the communication process. The final element of any emergency preparedness plan is to thoroughly test your detailed training scenarios. Performing regularly scheduled drills of your disaster plan can ensure that your staff are properly informed of the established plan and are confident in executing it when a crisis arises.
Perform regular drills of different emergency scenarios, including hurricanes, fires, biological hazards, floods, active shooting and more. Government agencies offer a wealth of resources on the subject of emergency preparedness planning, including CDC, FDA and FEMA. Prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery are the five steps of emergency management. Having an emergency preparedness plan is as important to the survival of your small business as your business plan.
If you have an emergency preparedness plan or are creating one, you are moving in the right direction. Refers to measures that prevent an emergency, reduce the chance of an emergency occurring, or reduce the harmful effects of inevitable emergencies. Developing an emergency preparedness plan is crucial, and here are six elements to include in it: 1.Establish a Disaster Preparedness Committee - Assemble a committee from within your organization who have the authority to act and are able to fulfill expected roles and responsibilities during an emergency.
2.Communicate Your Plan
- Inform colleagues and staff about the scenarios for which the plan is being prepared, the procedures that will be implemented to support it, and the leaders who will be responsible for executing it if necessary.3.Internal Preparedness Program - Review scenarios and outline steps to take in an emergency as part of a communication process.
4.Test Your Training Scenarios
- Thoroughly test detailed training scenarios by performing regularly scheduled drills of your disaster plan.5.Utilize Government Resources
- Take advantage of government resources such as CDC, FDA and FEMA for guidance on emergency preparedness planning.6.Gather Resources & Materials
- Gather resources and materials needed to develop, train and execute your emergency preparedness plan with help from a group purchasing organization (GPO).Emergency response organizations must coordinate with employers in their jurisdictions to ensure that they are prepared to safely respond to and perform necessary rescue operations in workplaces that may pose unique or particularly hazardous conditions for personnel in emergency response. Employers should work with emergency response organizations in their jurisdictions to ensure that organizations are prepared to safely respond and perform necessary rescue operations that may pose unique or particularly hazardous conditions for response personnel. Larger industrial operations may have special fire brigades or emergency response units trained to perform shutdowns and other emergency procedures when other workers need to evacuate. Workers designated to help in emergency situations should know workers with special needs (who may need additional assistance during an evacuation), how to use and instruct others to use the partner system, and any hazardous areas to avoid during an evacuation or emergency.
During an emergency involving the release of a hazardous substance, emergency response workers who operate outside contaminated areas but are expected to have contact with contaminated victims may need level C or D personal protective equipment (PPE). American Red Cross website with links to resources on personal emergency kits, emergency planning and communications can also be helpful in preparing for emergencies. Response actions may include activating the emergency operations center, evacuating threatened populations, opening shelters and providing mass care, emergency rescue and medical care, firefighting, and urban search and rescue.
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