How To Develop an Emergency Action Plan

6/28/2019 (Permalink)

As a business owner in Lexington, OK, you are responsible for what goes on in your building. This includes how well-equipped you and your employees are to respond to an emergency situation. It is important to create a contingency plan for responding to any type of emergency that may affect your building and the people inside it.

Plan Basics

Being prepared is more than just acknowledging that something can go wrong. A good emergency action plan has several components:

• Types of emergencies that may occur
  
• Safe space and evacuation plan
  
• Key personnel and the specific tasks they perform
  
• Contact information for employees
  
• Contact information for emergency response team and damage mitigation experts
  
• Medical assistance procedures
  
  

Don't assume that putting a map to the nearest exit on the wall by the front desk is enough to keep your employees safe during an emergency such as a fire. You need to know exactly what has to happen and exactly who is responsible for each task in your contingency plan. Having a solid plan can ensure that nothing important is overlooked when disaster strikes.

Plan Practice

Your evacuation plan can look great on paper and still fail if you do not walk employees through its steps on a regular basis. To ensure the successful implementation of your emergency protocols, start by training all employees so they can learn the details of the process and the part they play in it. Host surprise drills in which everyone gets to practice evacuating the building or proceeding to the designated protective areas safely. The more you talk about and run through your plan, the calmer employees are likely to be if an emergency does happen.
It is important to document your emergency action plan so that you have clear instructions. Developing a good contingency plan doesn't stop at writing everything down, though. Through both preparation and practice, you can keep your employees safer in the event of an emergency.