An Employer's Guide
to
Workplace Emergency Preparedness

The events of September 11, 2001 have demonstrated the importance of emergency preparation. As an employer, it is your responsibility to know your workplace, develop and implement emergency and evacuation plans. You should learn how to recognize different types of emergencies. Advanced preparation, awareness of and involvement of employees are crucial to successfully coping with emergencies. This guide is intended to assist you in preparing an emergency preparedness plan for your company.

For more information on emergency management please visit our Emergency Management and Homeland Security home page.

Return to Steps for Emergencies

Step 1: Establish a planning team

	that includes representation from all functional areas
	give the group authority to develop a plan
	issue a mission statement
	establish a schedule and budget

Return to Steps for Emergencies

Step 2: Analyze your company's capabilities and hazards

	review internal plans and policies such as evacuation plans, security procedures, and hazardous materials plans
	meet with outside groups such as emergency management office, fire department, police department
	identify applicable government regulations
	identify your company's critical products, services, and operations
	identify internal resources and capabilities including personnel, equipment, facilities, communications, emergency power
	identify external resources such as hospitals, utilities, insurance carriers
	do an insurance review
	conduct a vulnerability analysis by: listing potential emergencies estimating probability assessing the potential human impact assessing the potential property impact assessing the potential business impact assessing internal and external resources

Return to Steps for Emergencies

Step 3: Develop the plan

	Your plan should include: the purpose of the plan the facility's emergency management policy authorities and responsibilities of key personnel the types of emergencies that could occur where response operations will be managed
	The core elements of emergency management are: direction and control communications life safety property protection community outreach recovery and restoration administration and logistics
	Include a checklist that will help responders: assess the situation protect people involved get the business back up and running
	Include support documents such as: emergency call lists with phone numbers of responders building and site maps that show utility shutoffs, water hydrants, gas main valves, electrical cutoffs, floor plans, fire suppression systems, exits, restricted areas, hazardous materials resource lists that include equipments, services, mutual aid agreements
	Finalization and distribution steps include: identifying challenges and prioritizing activities writing the plan establishing a training schedule coordinating with outside organizations maintaining contact with corporate offices reviewing the plan conducting training revising the plan seeking approval distributing the plan

Return to Steps for Emergencies

Step 4: Implement the plan

	In addition to implementing the plan during an emergency, other parts of implementing the plan include: acting on recommendations made during the vulnerability analysis integrating the plan into company operations training employees — Click here for a guide for employees evaluating the plan
	Determine who will be trained and who will do the training and how the training will be accomplished: choose the type of training activity (tabletop exercise, walk-through drill, functional drill, evacuation drill, full-scale exercise) discuss individual roles, types of threats, notification and communication procedures, location of equipment, shutdown procedures
	Evaluate and modify the plan by auditing the entire plan once a year. Consider: involving all levels of management in updating the plan making sure the plan reflects lessons learned from drills and actual events ensuring that new members have been trained ensuring that records of the facility are up-to-date ensuring that names and telephone numbers are current

Return to Steps for Emergencies
Return to Emergency Management Considerations

Direction and Control—the system for managing resources, analyzing information, and making decisions in an emergency

	The emergency management group is the team responsible for the big picture.
	The incident commander oversees the technical aspects of the response.
	The emergency operations center is a designated area that serves as a centralized management center.

Communications are used to report emergencies, to warn personnel of danger, to keep families and off duty employees informed about what is happening, to coordinate response actions, and to keep in touch with contacts and suppliers
Contingency planning should include:

	considering the everyday functions performed by your facility and the voice and data communications used to support them
	considering the business impact if communications become inoperable
	prioritizing facility communications and determining who should be restored first in an emergency
	talking to vendors about their emergency response capabilities
	determining needs for backup communications including messengers, telephones, amateur radios
	making plans for personnel to check on safety of family members
	establishing procedures for employees to report an emergency
	establishing procedures for employees to report an emergency

Life Safety
protecting the health and safety of everyone is the first priority during an emergency
develop an evacuation policy and plan that includes:

	determining when an evacuation is necessary
	establishing a clear chain of command
	establishing specific evacuation procedures
	establishing procedures for assisting people with disabilities and those who do not speak English
	posting the evacuation procedures
	designating personnel to continue or shut down critical procedures
	coordinating plans with the local emergency management office
	making sure evacuation routes are wide enough to accommodate the number of persons leaving clear and unobstructed unlikely to result in additional hazards
	designate meeting places
	take a head count
	account for non-employees
	consider conditions for taking shelter
	identify shelter space in the facility
	determine needs for emergency supplies

Property Protection involves protecting facilities, equipment, and vital records in order to restore operations after an emergency has occurred and establishing plans for fighting fires, containing material spills, closing or barricading doors and windows, shutting down equipment, securing equipment, identifying sources of backup equipment.
Mitigation involves:

	constructing flood walls
	installing fire sprinkler systems
	moving workstations away from large windows
	installing fire-resistant materials and furnishing

Community Outreach
Your facility's relationship with the community will influence your ability to protect personnel and property and return to normal operations.
Involve the community by:

	maintaining a dialogue with community leaders, first responders, government agencies, and utilities
	having regular meetings with emergency personnel to review plans
	doing a facility walk-through with community response groups
	meeting with neighbors to identify how you could assist each other
	establishing mutual aid agreements that: defines the type of assistance identifies the chain of command for activating the agreement defines communication procedures
	identifying audiences that may be affected and will need information, such as employees, suppliers, customers, emergency responders, regulatory agencies, neighbors
	preparing background information about the facility
	observing media deadlines
	keeping records of information released
	not speculating about the incident, covering up facts, or placing blame for an incident

Rcovery and Restoration

	making contractual arrangements with vendors for post-emergency services such as record preservation and equipment repair
	discussing business resumption policies with your insurance carrier
	making plans for repairing or replacing equipment
	relocating operations
	taking photographs or videotape the facility to document assets
	establishing procedures for assuring the chain of command
	maintaining lines of succession for key personnel
	moving to alternate headquarters
	ensuring the safety of personnel on the property
	assessing remaining hazards
	assuring the chain of command
	maintaining security
	briefing employees
	keeping detailed records
	accounting for damage-related costs
	protecting undamaged property

Administration and Logistics
Maintain complete and accurate records at all times to ensure a more efficient emergency response. Steps can include:

	acquiring equipment
	stockpiling supplies
	providing for backup power and communications
	documenting incident investigations
	issuing press releases
	documenting drills
For more information please visit our Resources and Links Page.
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