While OSHA has an entire site devoted to emergency preparedness and response, most organizations agree that the following steps should be a good place to begin your preparation.
1. Create an Emergency Plan
In an office environment, your plan should include emergency evacuation routes and protocol, a shelter-in-place location, emergency contact information for employees’ family members, and a designated meeting place in case employees are separated during an emergency.
Refer to OSHA for design and construction requirements for exit routes.
Leadership should take emergency training seriously, discussing how to prepare and respond, and ensuring employees have a solid understanding of action plans.
When devising an emergency work plan, give members of each team specific responsibilities, and communicate a clear chain of command.
And finally, practice the plan with employees as many times as possible, and confirm they know how to work together during a crisis.
To help your employees prepare for emergencies that occur after work hours, the American Red Cross has a downloadable family disaster plan worksheet, which can easily be tailored to each employee’s family.
2. Assemble a Disaster Kit
An emergency kit should include supplies and equipment that will allow you and your employees to provide first aid and care to the injured, to stay safe during the duration of the event, and to receive and provide updates from the time that the disaster or emergency unfolds until the crisis has stabilized. An emergency kit will include some standard items but will also need to be customized based on a company’s operations, location, property size, number of employees, and identified potential hazards.
Below is a list of items to consider including in your emergency kit:
- Bottled water for drinking and sanitation – Plan for a minimum three-day supply allotting one gallon of water per employee per day.
- Food – A minimum three-day supply for each employee of non-perishable food that does not require cooking, along with plates, cups, utensils, and a manual can opener.
- First Aid Kit and medications – A first aid kit should include the items necessary to address injuries until proper medical evaluation and care is available along with commonly used over the counter medications.
- Personal hygiene and sanitation supplies - Soap, paper towels, disinfectant wipes, toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, small plastic bags, and larger garbage bags should be placed in the kit.
- Emergency supplies – Equipment and supplies to protect personnel from the elements, like blankets, ponchos, jackets, and tarps. Also include flashlights, spare batteries, solar battery chargers, emergency whistles, and a portable hand crank radio.
- Tools – Commonly used tools like hammers, screwdrivers, pliers, multi-purpose knives, scissors, duct tape, plastic ties, and bungee cords should be packed in the kit.
- Contact list and important documents – To quickly contact the proper authorities during an emergency or disaster, create a contact list for the police, fire, and ambulance services, hospitals, banks, lawyers, accountants, and suppliers. In addition to the contact list, company documentation needed to assist with incident recovery, such as bank statements, tax returns, insurance policies, client files, and employee identification information, should be secured in the kit.
- Miscellaneous supplies
– Include local and regional maps, spare office and building keys, petty cash, and any other items that might prove beneficial during an emergency.
Find a storage space in the office that’s easily accessible and assign team members the responsibility for obtaining and replacing certain items.
