What About Your Emergency Action Plan?
All employers are required to keep an Emergency Action Plan which includes a plan for handling emergencies. The kinds of elements that must be included are how to evacuate employees, how to report emergencies to employees and community agencies and how to provide emergency medical care.
What Elements Must Be Included in an Emergency Action Plan?
Employers with more than 10 employees, are required to create a written Emergency Action Plan. Your plan must spell out the following:
- Who is responsible for implementing the plan or any parts the plan
- How you will communicate emergencies to employees
- Fire and emergency evacuation policies
- The people who are assigned to give first aid and emergency medical care
Who is exempt from keeping a written plan?
Employers with 10 or fewer employees are not required to have a written plan. You are still required to maintain a plan for handling emergencies. You may communicate the plan verbally to your employees.
When should the Emergency Action Plan Training Occur?
- Emergency Action Plan training should take place in the following situations:
- When the plan is initially written
- When a change is made to the plan
- New hire orientation
- Periodic drills and training
Other good ideas:
- Create a committee to write the plan so that you get input from all departments
- Consider scenarios for different times of the day and different levels staffing when emergencies might occur
- Include local emergency agencies to give presentations or participate in your training and drills
- Conduct an annual review of your plan to be sure it is still effective