Office Building Emergency Plan
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npocpas1
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npocpas1
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When it comes to emergency situations, the best plan of attack is to be well prepared. Having a solid emergency plan for your business is critical for the safety of employees and customers alike. Emergency procedures should be outlined and communicated to employees well ahead of any potential danger or emergency situation. These procedures should cover both communication between office personnel (in order to minimize chaos during an emergency), as well as evacuation instructions (in order to efficiently vacate the building). It is recommended that your office have an appointed Office Safety Manager, as well as an alternate, in the event that the safety manager is absent. Office Safety Manager can assign specific tasks to other employees (such as grabbing the emergency supply kit, holding doors open for other employees or pulling the fire alarm).
Some key elements in your office emergency plan should include: a PDF document overviewing the office safety procedures (distributed to all employees upon hiring), action checklists to follow during an emergency procedure, as well as a monthly checklist for office safety equipment and supplies.
Let’s look at these categories a little further…
Office Safety Procedures
Upon hiring new employees, each person should receive a PDF overviewing Office Safety Procedures as a part of their new hire entry packet. This document should include a written description of the office emergency plan, outlining procedures for communication as well as evacuation. You may also want to include some or all of the following elements:
• Map of office building (to include locations of emergency exits)
• Location of fire alarm(s)
• Location and quantity of fire extinguishers in the building
• Location of smoke detectors
• Location of first aid kit + office emergency supply kit
• List of (up to date) emergency contact information for each employee and for management/board members– highlight the office safety manager and the alternate
• List of local emergency resources/services and contact information
• Location of rendezvous point to meet after possible building evacuation
Action Emergency Plan Checklist – Evacuation
Clear communication and effective teamwork can lessen potential damage during the onset of an emergency situation. It is paramount to prepare your employees and provide them with a clear plan of action to follow during an emergency. The following checklist can be added to or altered for your specific needs but provides a structure and sequence of steps to follow during an emergency:
• Office Safety Manager to verbally call out situationally appropriate directions during an emergency (directions for a fire will be different than for an earthquake, etc)
• Office Safety Manager (or designated employee) to pull fire alarm (when appropriate)
• Office Safety Manager (or designated employee) to grab emergency supply kit (to include first aid kit) – if able to do so safely and quickly
• All employees to file out of cubicles or office rooms, heading towards closest emergency exits (keep eyes open for fellow employees who may be injured or need help)
• Lightly touch doorknobs before opening, to ensure they aren’t hot from possible fire (when appropriate)
• Ensure to use staircases instead of elevators
• When in doubt, safety of employees and customers is the priority – do not try to find a fire extinguisher to put out a fire, just evacuate the building (unless evacuation is somehow impossible)
• Employees to gather at designated rendezvous point after building evacuation
Once employees have been cleared of the building or moved to safety:
• Office Safety Manager (or designated employee) to take roll call – ensure no one is missing
• Office Safety Manager (or designated employee) to call 911 or appropriate emergency resources
• Office Safety Manager (or designated employee) to assess any possible injuries
• Office Safety Manager (or designated employee) to use contact sheet to contact management or board members who may not be on site, to update them on the current situation
Monthly Safety Checklist + Office Safety Equipment
Every office should be prepared with appropriate safety equipment and supplies. The Office Safety Manager should run through a checklist monthly, in order to ensure safety equipment in working order and supplies are in stock. Every month, check the following:
Equipment/Procedures:
• Fire extinguishers should be in working order, not expired and present in appropriate locations (noted on office map)
• Smoke Detectors have working batteries and are in working order
• Portable defibrillator is charged (in case of cardiac arrest)
• Emergency exit signs are visible and exit passageways are clear of boxes, furniture, etc.
• Safety Training Overview on a quarterly basis (as well as upon hiring new employees)
Supplies:
• First aid kits (with standard medical supplies) are up to date and fully stocked
• Fire blankets are present
• Emergency supply kit is fully stocked and elements are not expired – you can visit http://www.ready.gov/kit to find an overview of a Basic Disaster Supply Kit
Final Overview
The most important part of an office emergency plan is to keep it simple and efficient. Ensure employees are prepared far ahead of any danger and that safety training is revisited on a quarterly basis. The more comfortable officer personnel are with an emergency plan, the more likely that plan is to be executed effectively, efficiently, safely and quickly.
By appointing an Office Safety Manager and designated employees with tasks, you can ensure that the team is working together to get everyone out of harms way. Having clearly defined roles will help to keep everyone is their zone and lessen the possibility of panic.
A well-defined, well-understood and well-practiced office emergency plan is key to risk management and effective emergency management in the workplace.
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