How To Conduct Fire Drills and Prepare for Workplace Emergencies

10/30/2019 (Permalink)

How To Conduct Fire Drills and Prepare for Workplace Emergencies

As a commercial business owner in Norman, OK, you have plenty of tasks to perform and problems to solve each day. You may not spend much time thinking about what you will do during a workplace disaster.
However, preparing for emergencies ahead of time can limit the impact of the disaster on your business. There are many types of emergencies that can affect a commercial building, including:

• Tornadoes
  
• Fires
  
• Explosions
  
• Chemical spills
  
• Hurricanes
  
• Floods
  
  

Fire and storm damage can be devastating. Flood cleanup can be especially time-consuming and costly for your business. That is why you should create an emergency action plan and conduct at least one fire drill per year.

Emergency Action Plans

Some employers are legally required by the General Industry Occupational Safety and Health Standard to create action plans. Yet all companies should have some disaster preparedness measures in place.
Any disaster plan should detail how employees can report emergencies, and how the rest of the building will be notified. You should also come up with an evacuation procedure and make sure that workers know the best way to get out of the building. Make sure to consider the needs of any disabled employees.

Conducting Drills

A yearly fire drill can reinforce the plan and ensure that employees know what to do and where to go during a disaster. You may even want to call your local fire and police departments for assistance with the drill. Afterward, talk with your employees and managers to assess how the drill went. Discuss any weaknesses with your plan and adjust it accordingly.

Disaster Cleanup

Of course, even if you are fully prepared for emergencies, you may not be able to prevent flood damage to your building. Storm cleanup specialists can restore your property quickly so your employees can get back to work.
Holding a fire drill in your office will give your employees peace of mind. They will know what to do in the event of a disaster.