| You want your employees to be safe in the place | | | | important that your employees are prepared in |
| that they work. You want them to have a sense | | | | the event of an emergency. They should know |
| of security. What will happen when there is an | | | | the plan well enough that they can easily take the |
| emergency in your workplace? Are your | | | | steps necessary to put it into action. Combining |
| employees ready? Emergency response | | | | workplace emergency training with the creation of |
| coordination is important to your employees and | | | | an emergency response plan will prepare your |
| workplace emergency training should be an | | | | employees for unexpected or traumatic situations |
| ongoing process. It is vital that your employees | | | | that may occur in the workplace. |
| are organized, prepared and well trained in how to | | | | Things to include in the emergency response plan |
| react when an emergency arises. From fires, to | | | | should include establishing emergency procedures |
| chemical spills, to severe weather, to serious | | | | and an escape route, evacuation procedures, |
| health emergencies, your staff needs to know | | | | method for determining that all personnel are |
| how to handle each situation. Are they ready? | | | | accounted for and the means for reporting |
| Get Organized | | | | emergencies to the appropriate emergency |
| The first thing that you need to do to prepare | | | | personnel. Depending on the size of your |
| your employees for handling an emergency is to | | | | organization, the type of organization and the |
| establish a chain of command. This chain of | | | | type of work performed, there may be other |
| command can be, depending on the size of your | | | | things that you may need to consider in your |
| organization, one person or several people. These | | | | emergency response plan. |
| people, the emergency response team, are the | | | | Get Trained |
| first line of defense when there is an emergency | | | | Organization and planning are useless if your |
| in your workplace. This team is headed up by an | | | | employees are not properly trained to handle |
| emergency response team coordinator. The | | | | emergency situations. Members of the |
| ERTC's responsibilities include assessing a situation, | | | | emergency response team should have certain |
| deciding if there is an emergency that warrants | | | | responsibilities such as using fire extinguishers, |
| the activation of emergency procedures. | | | | administering oxygen, knowing CPR and first aid, |
| The coordinator is also responsible for evacuating | | | | chemical spill control procedures, evacuation |
| personnel and directing the emergency response | | | | procedures and firefighting techniques. Of course, |
| procedures, making sure that the appropriate | | | | the things that your employees need to be |
| emergency personnel (ambulance, fire | | | | trained in depend on the size and type of your |
| department, etc.) are contacted and directing the | | | | facility, but when it comes down to it, there are |
| shutdown of workplace operations if they deem it | | | | some aspects that are universal, regardless of |
| necessary. | | | | size and scope. Giving your employees workplace |
| Get Prepared | | | | emergency training is vital to the safety of your |
| Whether you have a one person office, or an | | | | employees. You owe it to them to give them |
| organization with thousands of employees, you | | | | solid training so that they are prepared for any |
| have to have an emergency response plan. It is | | | | workplace emergencies. |