By Serena Sekhon

If a disaster were to strike while you were at work, would you know what to do?  We’ve all been told time and time again not to panic, but if your organization does not have an Emergency Response Plan, then panicking might be your natural reaction.  Luckily, putting together a plan can be very easy.  Organizations of any size can effectively put something in place by planning, preparing and practicing.

Plan
Build a simple and easy to follow Emergency Preparedness Plan that clearly outlines the procedures that must be followed in a variety of emergency situations such as fire, flood, earthquake or bomb threats.  A detailed evacuation plan, including a list of floor warden and listing of non-emergency contact information for local authorities (fire, police, and paramedics) should also be included in the plan. 

Another item that is often overlooked in today’s paperless society is a hard copy of the emergency contacts for all employees.  In an emergency situation it is safe to assume that a computer may not be accessible. It is important to keep a printed list of emergency contact information in a secure location and update it regularly.  In the event of an emergency, someone in your organization, either a floor warden or HR representative, should be tasked with retrieving this information so that family members can be contacted if something were to happen to an employee.

Prepare
When preparing for an emergency, you’ll also want to make sure you have enough supplies, such as food, water and tools for a minimum of 72 hours. Emergency personnel may not be able to attend to your location immediately.

Below is a list of recommended items that your organization should try to have on hand:

• Water – at least two litres of water per person per day for drinking and an additional two litres per day for cooking and cleaning.
• Non-perishable food items such as canned food, energy bars and dried foods
• Manual can opener
• Flashlight and batteries
• Candles and matches or lighter
• Battery-powered or wind-up radio
• Extra batteries
• First Aid Kit
• A copy of your emergency plan including contact information
• Blankets
• A whistle
• Garbage bags for personal sanitation
• Toilet paper and other personal care supplies
• Safety gloves
• Basic tools (hammer, pliers, wrench, screwdrivers, fasteners, work gloves)
• Small fuel-driven stove and fuel

These supplies should be easily accessible in case of emergency, but not so easily accessible that they could be used in non-emergency situations.   The supplies should be monitored and re-stocked when needed.  If you create your own emergency kits, food and water rations should typically only be kept for a maximum of one year.  However, if you purchase a professional kit, the rations included  typically have a five-year lifespan and therefore require less maintenance. 

Practice
Once everything has been finalized and approved, it is important to roll-out the Emergency Preparedness Plan to all employees.  The rollout should outline what employees need to do in the event of an emergency and where the plan will be published for quick reference. 

Once the plan is launched it should be updated regularly and all employees should be retrained.  In an emergency, it is important that people know how to react, so if they are repeatedly told what needs to be done, they should instinctively act on the training that they have received.   Regular earthquake and fire drills, including evacuations, should be done as well.  This helps employees see the plan in action so they are less likely to panic in the event of a real emergency. 

Building an Emergency Preparedness Plan does not have to be difficult or expensive.  Every organization should have a basic plan in place that outlines what should be done in case of emergency.  Employees should be trained on what they need to do and this training should be reinforced regularly.  These same principles can, and should,  be applied to your home as well.  A small investment in time and supplies now may be the difference maker in an emergency situation.

Serena Sekhon is a Human Resources generalist with Rhema Health Products Ltd.