It is crucial that employers have an emergency action plan in place for when the unexpected occurs. As we learned all too well during the winter storm of 2021, even Texas needs to be prepared for severe winter weather this time of year. Forming an emergency action plan may seem daunting, but it is much better to start thinking about one now than to be caught off guard when you urgently need it.
Create a Plan: OSHA provides insight on what should be included in your emergency plan. Be sure to include the following:
how the plan will be activated
contact information for individuals in charge
assignments of specific action items to specific individuals
how to report the emergency to the proper authorities
evacuation instructions
a means to account for all employees
an inventory of equipment available and where to find it
Managers should also familiarize themselves with common warning terminology and signals, nearby emergency shelters, and alternative evacuation routes.
When it comes to weather-related closures, we recommend following the lead of the school district in which your office is located – if the school closes or announces a delayed start, your office follows suit. By making this a formal policy, your employees will know exactly how to find out whether the office will be closed, and it takes the responsibility for making tough decisions out of your hands.
You’ll want to set well-defined policies regarding employee pay during emergency closures. Is an emergency cancelation treated as a paid day off? Alternatively, consider work-from-home options that can be made available during an emergency closure. Set clear policies regarding accessing work systems from personal devices, and make it abundantly clear under which circumstances employees are authorized and/or expected to do so.
When formulating your plan, give particular consideration to individuals with disabilities or other medical needs. If evacuation or prolonged shelter-in-place becomes necessary, they may require additional assistance.
Gather Resources: Consider preparing an emergency kit with supplies to help you deal with power outages, prolonged shelter-in-place directives, natural disasters, etc. Your kit should contain food, water, medicine, light sources, batteries, a first aid kit, and other potentially useful equipment. Be sure to store it in an easily accessible location. Remember that many of these items have expiration dates, and do not forget to replace them regularly.
In the age of the pandemic, it is advisable that you maintain a stock of extra PPE such as masks and hand sanitizer should your employees be required to shelter together in close quarters for an extended period.
The materials you choose to include in your kit will depend on circumstances specific to your office’s location. If your office is located in close proximity to a nuclear power plant, for example, you ought to be equipped with plastic sheeting and duct tape in case you must seal off windows and air vents; if you are located in an area with a high risk of flooding, you should probably have a battery-powered pump and make sure to waterproof your emergency supplies.
Your kit should also include employees’ personal contact information in case any personnel are unaccounted for during an emergency. Consider collecting an emergency contact from employees during onboarding and storing this information in the kit so that you can keep their loved ones informed as the situation unfolds.
We also advise that you specify how to report water/electric/internet outages, how to contact security or the police, and how to activate other resources that may be required to respond in an emergency situation. Keep in mind that depending on the nature of the emergency, normal means of communication may be impracticable; backup equipment such as mobile hotspots and fully charged cell phones may be prudent. Local maps may help with an orderly evacuation in the event that GPS systems go offline.
For further suggestions, visit ready.gov.
Distribute the Plan: It is important that all individuals in the office have access to, and have familiarized themselves with, your emergency action plan. You might provide a copy in the employee handbook and/or post one in a common area. Employees must be trained on certain actions that may require their involvement and be given the opportunity to ask clarifying questions.
You should regularly review and update the plan and immediately inform employees of any changes.
While it certainly does not hurt to make the plan available digitally, be sure that physical copies are also available, as power and internet outages may very well coincide with more drastic emergencies.
Enact the Plan: When disaster strikes, it is easy to panic amid the chaos, but sticking to your plan as closely as possible ensures that all necessary safety measures are taken and that everyone is accounted for. Those in charge must evaluate the level of danger and implement the appropriate course of action. If your employees are well-prepared to execute the emergency action plan, everyone is able to play their part in carrying out a coherent response.
When it comes to emergencies, preparation is key. You cannot control when, where, and how an emergency strikes, but you can remain prepared for all possibilities so that you can jump into action when it does. The small cost of a well-formulated emergency action plan will prove invaluable if the time ever comes that you need to activate it.