An emergency can strike your workplace at any time. A fire could break out in the office kitchenette. A severe storm could force you to shelter in place until the terrible weather subsides. An anonymous caller could make a bomb threat to the front desk. These are just some of the emergencies that you might encounter at your place of work.
What can you do? The best thing that you can do is prepare your workplace for these scenarios. That way, when disaster strikes, you and your colleagues will know exactly what steps to take next.
Make Emergency Response Plans
The first thing that you should do is put together emergency response plans. You will need multiple plans because not every emergency requires the same reactions. For instance, a building fire will require employees to evacuate the premises as quickly as possible, while a flood could lead everyone to remain indoors.
Look at the emergency response planning guide from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety for help. It covers emergency plans for everything from building fires to chemical spills.
Accommodate Everyone
Unfortunately, certain groups are often forgotten about in emergency response plans, like people with disabilities, seniors and pregnant women. These groups will be more vulnerable to emergencies, and they will require more accommodations to get through them.
For instance, people with mobility issues can’t rush out of the office building for a full evacuation, especially when elevators and electronic stairlifts are unavailable. They may not be able to walk downstairs without risking injury. This is why you should get evacuation chairs for stairs throughout your building.
What’s an evacuation chair? It’s a device designed to help people who can’t take the stairs in emergencies. The chair is effective for people with disabilities, people with injuries, pregnant women, seniors and more.
How does it work? First, the user sits in the seat. They’re secured with safety straps by a helper. Then the helper guides the chair to the building’s emergency exit. The chair can be safely maneuvered up and down staircases without injuring the user.
Your office should also make accommodations for employees with visual impairments, hearing impairments and other conditions that could impact their ability to react in emergency situations. Don’t forget about them in your response plans!
Get the Kits
Stock your workplace with the essential emergency kits and store them in easy-to-find locations. Your kits should include enough bottled water and non-perishable food to sustain the office in times when you need to shelter in place.
Your office should also have first aid kits and AED machines on every floor. These will help your employees contend with injuries and other medical crises until first responders arrive on the scene.
Learn First Aid
Speaking of first aid kits, you should encourage the entire office to learn how to properly administer first aid, CPR and AED. So, sign up for workplace first aid courses through the Red Cross as soon as you can. These courses will give your employees the skills they need to manage medical problems right when they happen.
These courses can also be excellent team-building exercises! Make your team stronger and safer than ever.
You never know when disaster will strike your workplace, and you don’t want to get caught by surprise. Follow these steps and prepare your office for emergencies right now.
