An Emergency Action Plan For Your Business


Sometimes, you don't know how badly you need an emergency action plan until it's too late. Fortunately for our community, a recent spate of tornadoes that threatened but did no real damage has given just the impetus we need to do some much needed planning. Avoiding a tragedy with a little preparedness seems like a very timely and smart proactive approach.

In a post-September 11th world, it's become clearer to many business owners that an emergency action plan is a necessity for the times in which we live. Thankfully, many of us will never have to face the horrible fallout of terrorism in the workplace, but severe weather is something that's a real threat no matter where we are. The recent tragedies in Myanmar and China are perfect examples of Mother Nature's fearsome power. When my boss put me in charge of our company's brand-new emergency action plan, I knew I had a good bit of learning to do.

The federal government has some superb resources available for both businesses and individuals when it comes to crafting a specialized emergency action plan. I found that websites run by both OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and the Homeland Security Department are great places to start. Even someone new to this type of planning can formulate a basic response using the guidelines offered by these agencies.

The most crucial aspect of any successful emergency action plan is communication. Does your facility have some sort of early warning system? Can employees quickly and easily find out if and when severe weather, for example, is imminent? That's the first and most important step in implementing a safety protocol at work. Just as important to a successful emergency action plan is the information available to first responders, such as fire and rescue units. I recommended that our company provide the local fire department with schematics of our building so that nothing would take them by surprise.

The web offers a myriad of resources for businesses looking to be pro-active in this arena. I found resources ranging from free downloads of emergency action plan or (EAP) software to photoluminescent evacuation maps that can be read even when there's no power. Pre-packaged EAP kits, complete with disaster gear, equipment, food, and water are available for purchase and would go a long way towards making emergencies more manageable.

We can't control the weather, or the future for that matter, but I'm glad that our company is taking steps to do what it can to keep us safe by creating a well thought-out and practical EAP.