An Emergency Action Plan’s 10 Key Elements
July 14th, 2009We all know that having an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is an important part of emergency preparedness. It is even more important that the plan is one that will work when it is required.
Below you will find the 10 key-points you should consider when developing or when reviewing an Emergency Action Plan:
1. THE PROBLEM WITH ELECTRICITY
One must be prepared that in the event of an emergency, electricity might not be available. If you consider this to be a likely case then you must not store your action plan in electronic form only. Print several copies of your EAP and make sure that they stay readily available.
Make sure phone lists associated with your EAP are available in hard copy and not only available in electronic format, on a central database or on speed-dial lists.
2. WHERE TO TURN OFF THE WATER AND LIGHTS
Your EAP should list the location of important utility shutoffs. It is a good idea to include photos of them so that they can be located quickly and easily. Also include the location of any tools or keys needed to access the shutoffs, if any.
3. IF THERE IS AN ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
Make sure that your EAP includes a list of the equipment and/or machinery that needs to be shut down in case of an emergency. It is also important to know who has responsibility for doing so and even more important to make sure that the list of responsible persons is updated in a timely manner.
4. CALL A FRIEND
Contact lists are invariably outdated. It might be a good idea to get the good people at Human Resources to update contact lists. They are generally in a better position than other administrative personnel when it comes to having access to employee contact phone numbers-and they also know when employees leave or move to different positions.
5. THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS
When one person is responsible for writing and maintaining the EAP, then it might be that he or she will write something that looks good on paper but with very little value when the plan needs to be put into action.
Prevent this from happening by letting each department or area on the site review all pertinent parts of the plan to ensure accuracy and workability. Get their feedback, it might make all the difference.
6. THIS IS NOT A DRILL, I REPEAT…
Periodic drills are your friend. The more drills you are able to do, the better employees will know what to do in an emergency. Yes, I know this is difficult to plan and to get buy-in for, but be creative. Change the scenario every time to keep employees interested.
Be sure to critique the drills afterwards and implement changes to accomplish continual improvement.
7. BE MY GUEST
Be sure to include provisions in your EAP for visitors on your site. How do you account for their whereabouts and who is in charge of ensuring they know how to evacuate?
8. BACK TO WORK
Include provisions regarding who has authority to allow employees back into buildings or restart operations.
9. RAINY DAYS & SUNDAYS
Your EAP must also make provision for variations in emergency procedures. Changes to the standard procedures and plans might be necessary to account for differences in shifts, days of the week or seasonal changes. For example, if you have a night shift - how will total darkness impact your current plans?
10. READY FOR ACTION
Your Emergency Action Plan must list the locations of special equipment (for example, special protective suits to be used in the event of a chemical release) and emergency supplies (food, water, etc. in the event employees are stranded on site). It will be a good idea to do periodic inventories to ensure they are where you say or think they are and that equipment is in working order.
Thurther to this, you will do well to remember that no two sites are the same. Your situation is unique for a number of reasons. This must be reflected in your plan. It will not suffice to use another site’s plan and to only make some minor changes.
The special circumstances of your site might mean that you need to cover more than the 10 issues mentioned above.
