Emergency Action Plans for Employers

June 1 marked the start of the hurricane season here in Texas. In 2010, Texas experienced $14.87 million in property damage and an additional $4.01 million in crop damage due to hurricanes.

Let's face it, 2011 is already fraught with devastating events across the U.S. Tornadoes ravaged Joplin, Missouri causing damage estimated at between one billion to three billion dollars. A massive blizzard hit Chicago, the third worst snowstorm in the city's history. If you look at the FEMA website (2011 Federal Disaster Declarations) you will find emergency declarations for flooding, severe storms, severe winter storms, Tsunami waves (California and Hawaii), landslides and mudslides. While I'm not expecting a Tsunami wave here in Houston any time soon, hurricanes, related flooding and fires are a real concern. With that being said, do you have an Emergency Action Plan in place?

OSHA (1910.38) requires a company, no matter what the size, to have an Emergency Action Plan in place. The emergency plan must “be in writing, kept in the workplace, and available to employees for review.” Note that employers with 10 or less employees may communicate the plan orally to the employees.

An emergency plan should address all possible emergencies that could happen, from electrical fires to flood, and how your employees are to respond. An emergency plan helps an organization take steps to protect its business, as well as employees, from harm. If a fire breaks out, your facility would have to be evacuated as quickly as possible. Do you have an evacuation plan in place? Do your employees know what steps to take? What steps should your employees take in the event of a bomb threat?

Under OSHA, the minimum elements of an Emergency Action Plan must include:

• Procedures for reporting the emergency.
• Procedures for emergency evacuation including type of evacuation and exit route assignments.
• Procedures to be followed by employees who remain to operate critical plan operations before they evacuate.
• Procedures to account for all employees after evacuation.
• Procedures to be followed by employees performing rescue or medical duties.
• The name or job title of every employee who may be contacted by employees who need more information about the plan or explanation of their duties under the plan.

Further, OSHA requires:

• That an employee alarm system must be maintained and have a distinctive signal for each purpose and comply with the requirements of employee alarm systems.
• Training for those employees who assist in the safe and orderly evacuation of other employees.
• Review of the emergency action plan with each employee covered by the plan. This review should occur when the plan is developed or the employee is assigned initially to a job; when the employee's responsibilities under the plan change; and when the plan is changed.

Emergency Action Plans are vital to protect employees from serious injury, property loss or loss of life, in the event of an actual or potential major disaster. The plan should describe the initial responsibilities and actions to be taken to protect all employees until the appropriate responders take over.

Be prepared - be safe!