General Emergency Preparedness
An emergency can occur at any time. You and your coworkers should know what to do during an emergency at work. Even if you think you are not in
a disaster-prone area, the crash of a chemical tanker truck, a warehouse fire, a flood or other incident can prevent you from reaching or leaving your place of work.
No business should operate without a disaster plan. As many as 40 percent of small businesses never reopen after being damaged in a flood, earthquake or other major disaster. If you are a business owner developing a business disaster plan, consider how the disaster could affect your employees, customers and the workplace.
Consider how you could continue doing business if the area around your facility is closed or streets are impassable. Consider what you would need to serve your customers if your facility becomes inaccessible.
Employees should:
- Learn and practice emergency plans.
- Know at least two exits from each room or work area (if possible).
- Rehearse how to escape in the dark by knowing, for instance, how many desks or cubicles are between your work station and the two nearest exits.
- Know where to meet coworkers’ following evacuation.
- Know the location of fire extinguishers and how to use them.
- Keep a copy of your coworkers phone numbers at home.
- Make a printed list of important personal numbers, and keep it at your desk or near other phones. Do not rely on electronic lists, direct dial phone numbers or computer organizers that may not work in an emergency.
- Gather personal emergency supplies (including a flashlight, walking shoes, dust mask, a water bottle and non-perishable food) in a desk drawer.
- Report safety system damage or malfunctions.
- Never lock or block fire exits or doorways. However, keep fire doors closed to slow the spread of smoke and fire.
- Make specific plans to help each other if public transportation is shut down or roadways are impassable.
- Consider offering to temporarily house, transport or feed your coworkers in case of emergency.
Employers should:
- Ensure that an emergency plan is developed, updated and practiced at least every six months.
- Make specific plans with employees who are disabled or who may require assistance during an emergency.
- Put together an office phone tree. Develop a list
- of the home phone numbers of all employees, and identify who is responsible for making each contact. Distribute a copy to each employee (after receiving permission from each listed employee).
- Keep a phone list of all key employees with you at all times.
- Assign a special number on your voicemail system (if you have one) on which you can record messages for employees, and make sure all employees know the number.
- Arrange for programmable call forwarding for your main business lines.
- Leave keys and the alarm codes with a trusted employee or friend in case you cannot reach your facility.
- Back up computer data frequently.
