Emergency Preparedness
Even the most safety conscious organisation can have an emergency; be it natural hazards, health emergencies, utility failures or chemical spills. %The_Company% needs to know what to do, and who is responsible for what, in an emergency:
- Ensure all potential emergencies which may occur while on a specific job location are identified and discussed during a Toolbox meeting, prior to beginning work
- Review the emergency preparedness and response plan before beginning a job and when conditions warrant it
- All employees and/or sub-contractors must be actively involved in the emergency preparedness and response process, if appropriate
- Conduct emergency response training, drills and exercises, where required. Use the form on Page 4.3 for evacuation trials
- Evacuation points and First Aid Kit locations should be filled in on the chart on Page 4.2
Emergency Roles and Responsibilities
The Emergency Staff are listed in the chart on Page 4.2. Their responsibilities include:
- Selecting a management member to be responsible overall
- Being prepared for an emergency, including being trained if required
- Educating other staff members in emergency preparedness, reminding them periodically and being involved in the induction process for new employees
- Ensuring all staff are accounted for, following an evacuation or emergency
- Reviewing the emergency preparedness and response plan every 6 months
Emergency Response Process
While every event and site are unique, there are some basic steps to follow when responding to any emergency:
- Always consider your personal safety and the safety of others, before acting
- Notify emergency services as soon as possible on 111 and give assistance to injured people
- Respond to event depending on what it is, as outlined on page 4.1
- Consider whether the area needs to be evacuated and act; limit access to the area, where possible
- Notify management as soon as possible and warn neighbouring companies of any danger
- Ensure there is a review of the response procedures following the emergency
Emergency Response Review
Have a meeting every six-months or following an emergency, to assess the programme. Ask follow-up questions:
- Do we have adequate resources, personnel knowledge and qualified staff or do we need to consider purchasing new equipment, or retraining employees?
- Are the actions required to respond to emergencies consistent with policy and procedures?
- Will we need emergency teams or other specialist advisors on site in the future?