Unexpected emergency events may originate from many different sources such as unusually sudden changes in weather, equipment failure or misuse, chemical release, fire or explosions, and natural disasters to name a few. If an unexpected emergency happened on your construction site, would any of your crew members or subcontractor personnel know how to safely evacuate, what to do, or who to contact? Without any advance contingency planning, the answer may be “No”.
In an unexpected emergency, evacuation and recovery operations could be chaotic and possibly make the situation more catastrophic. With forethought, this chaos could be reduced or eliminated with careful planning so that workers already have an idea of where to escape to, help account for co-workers, and provide valuable information to rescuers and first responders. Accounting for all personnel on the site helps responders know if there are any rescue or lifesaving measures that need to happen.
Developing and implementing an Emergency Action Plan can be as simple as a Monday morning tailgate meeting, even on small projects with minimal staffing. This is an effective way to present whatever contingencies might occur during the day or the week and how to prepare for them and recover afterword. Consideration should be given to exit and assembly points to take a headcount and provide initial treatment of any injuries in a safe area away from the danger. Workers need to know who and how to notify critical personnel from company management to first responders. This information could be crucial for responders to know so that they arrive with appropriate equipment and materials to effectively handle the situation.
Conducting occasional realistic drills with various emergency scenarios is effective in conditioning workers how to act. Such drills can mitigate panic and demonstrate where strengths and weaknesses in the plan exist and help determine any additional training needs.
Emergency Action Plans should be reviewed and revised as the nature or anatomy of the project changes. New personnel on site would then know about how to react in cases of disorder or disaster and observe how more experienced builders react.
For more information on emergency action plans, questions, or concerns, please contact PGM Safety Services, an affiliate company of Pro Group Management. We will be happy to assist when you visit us at www.pgmnv.com or call (800) 859-3177.
