Emergency Action Plans – Are you ready for an emergency?
Does your job site know what to do in the event of an emergency? What are the roles of each contractor? Do you know who is on your job site? A couple of months ago we talked about severe weather and what to do, but what happens if some other emergency takes place? Does everyone know where to go and what to do in the event of an emergency?
Some reasons why you must have an Emergency Action Plan program in place are:
- Fire on site
- Severe weather
- Civil unrest outside of the job site
- Civil unrest in the job site
An emergency action plan (EAP) is a written document required by particular OSHA standards. [
29 CFR 1910.38(a)
] The purpose of an EAP is to facilitate and organize employer and employee actions during workplace emergencies. Well-developed emergency plans and proper employee training (such that employees understand their roles and responsibilities within the plan) will result in fewer and less severe employee injuries and less structural damage to the facility during emergencies. A poorly prepared plan likely will lead to a disorganized evacuation or emergency response, resulting in confusion, injury, and property damage.
Knowing and stating a proper meeting location for incidents that require evacuation, are critical in an Emergency Action Plan. Stating where the severe weather shelter is located is extremely important. Part of the EAP could be assigning someone to watch weather radar if bad weather is on the horizon. If there was a protest outside of the job site that turned hazardous, it is the duty of the employer to ensure a safe location is available.
Part of the Emergency Action Plan is to have a notification system. Will you be using alarms? Air horns? Radios? Word of mouth? Whatever it may be, keep in mind that it should be something that can be heard by many, cell phones are not a good tool unless you are sending a mass test message to the entire group on site. Communication is vital in ensuring your EAP is successful. How will emergency responders be notified? Is there a backup plan if 911 is not available? If it happens during lunch, do you actually know who is on site? Did they sign out when they left the job site? Are emergency responders searching and risking their lives for workers that are not even on the site at all?
Whether it is a small contractor planning for their own group of workers, or a general contractor that has the responsibility of protecting the entire site, a well thought out Emergency Action Plan goes a long way to reaching the goal of. Every worker going home at the end of the day the same way they came when they started it.
Have a safe month, and WORKSAFE!
