Recent weather disasters have made it abundantly clear that no company, no matter how large or small and no matter the location, is safe from unexpected crises. Tornadoes, wildfires, earthquakes, floods…the list is lengthy, and no one is invulnerable.
Some disasters are more predictable than others. For example, if you have a facility in a flood-prone area, you should be prepared for a flood. Some disasters are not so predictable — for example, a terrorist attack or an unprecedented weather emergency (Springfield, Massachusetts certainly wasn’t expecting tornadoes a few weeks back!).
Even in these unforeseeable situations, however, general planning can help organizations deal with the challenge. For example, if your disaster plan includes alternate communications methods and an alternate worksite, you’ll be prepared on those fronts for many types of disasters.
Develop a Plan
First, you have to identify potential problems and develop courses of action that you could take. There are, of course, many types of emergencies, says safety expert and BLR webinar moderator Randy DeVaul. However, there are a few common categories that cover most situations.
Work & Weather: Must-Have Policies on Absenteeism, Pay, Telecommuting, and More
- Medical emergency. This can be a severe accident, or a heart attack, or an exposure to a hazardous material, for example.
- Severe weather. This could be anything that relates to a take-shelter type of incident where you don’t want to send employees outside.
- Fire/evacuation. In this scenario, you need to get people to leave the building.
It’s a Partnership
Get a relationship established with your fire marshal, the fire department, and the EMS, says DeVaul. These are the folks who are going to have to respond if you have an incident, so it’s good for them to know about the layout of your property and who your emergency manager is. They should also be briefed on specific hazards at your facilities, such as the presence of explosives, hazardous materials, and so on.
Also, get to know the local emergency manager. He or she is responsible for responding to a communitywide type of disaster or incident. Typically, part of that person’s responsibility is to help the local businesses in the area prepare for disasters and other emergencies.
Updating Is Critical
Once there is a plan, the biggest challenge is keeping it updated. For example, the plan needs to be updated to reflect:
- Changes in emergency contact personnel and phone numbers, both inside the facility and outside the facility
- New chemicals, substances, or processes
- New equipment
- Changes in exit routes, locations of fire-fighting materials, first-aid equipment, etc.
Handling weather-related work challenges: Webinar July 11
Find out more
Tomorrow, we’ll get DeVaul’s thoughts on daily inspections and give you the link to a valuable free resource from FEMA. We’ll also tell you about a timely webinar — specifically for California employers — that you won’t want to miss.
Download your free copy of 20 Must-Have Employee Handbook Policies today!
It’s important to plan for contingencies, but don’t feel you need to anticipate every possible disaster in the book–take care of the most likely, and you’ll then be in much better shape to handle even the most unanticipated crises.
It’s important to plan for contingencies, but don’t feel you need to anticipate every possible disaster in the book–take care of the most likely, and you’ll then be in much better shape to handle even the most unanticipated crises.