Emergency Evacuation Plan: Ensuring a Safe Exit Strategy for Your Facility
Emergencies can be chaotic and terrifying. Having to evacuate immediately from any facility can lead to confusion and stress – and an unprepared workplace can result in more injuries than necessary. Fire evacuation plans, floods, earthquakes, and even explosions are all things to consider when developing an emergency evacuation plan. A solid plan is a critical element of workplace safety for any industry.
Preparing an Emergency Evacuation Plan
Emergency evacuation plans are not just practical for employees, they are included in OSHA-required emergency action plans (EAPs) under the Evacuation Elements. OSHA’s evacuation elements include describing conditions for when you’d need to evacuate immediately, outlining an emergency exit plan, and outlining specific procedures.
Assess the Risks
Some reasons to evacuate immediately from a workplace are standard in every environment, with potential fire being the most common. Any emergency evacuation plan should take into consideration the type of facility and the location to determine the most likely causes for a necessary evacuation. Industrial facilities and construction sites are at a higher risk of evacuation due to chemical or gasoline spills. Any workplace located in Los Angeles should be prepared for earthquake-related evacuations, while facilities in the Midwest are more worried about tornadoes.
Understand the Environment
Assessing workplace risks is step one in creating an emergency evacuation plan. After understating the potential risks, assessing the actual facility comes next. How many exits are there? How accessible are they? Are exit routes clearly marked and well-lit?
Assemble a Team
Some workplaces have designated safety officers. All workplaces should designate an emergency evacuation team. Any time there is a reason to evacuate immediately, confusion and chaos emerge. Having specific personnel ready and trained to assist in evacuations, coordinate with emergency personnel, take the lead on communications, and, if appropriately trained, provide first aid until additional responses arrive are all critical. Ensuring at least some employees are trained on how to use fire extinguishers is equally important.
Create an Emergency Exit Plan
Any emergency evacuation plan needs to be clearly outlined and shared with all employees upon onboarding and as updates are made. The plan should be reviewed annually with all employees. Employees’ emergency contacts should also be reviewed and updated on a semi-regular basis.
Any plan must include specifications on assembly points, primary exits, personnel in charge, communication methods, and instructions for assisting guests, visitors, and anyone with disabilities. Regularly reviewing and updating the evacuation plan to account for changes in personnel, layout, or equipment is critical.
Clear Exits
All emergency exits need to be well-lit and easily identifiable. Emergency evacuation routes and floor plans should be displayed in common areas.
Communications Systems
Automatic alarms such as fire and carbon monoxide alarms, intercom systems, and PA systems can all be used for communication in case of a need to evacuate immediately. An evacuation should not rely on one single communication system since system failures can occur.
Meeting Points
Establish a set meeting point as part of the emergency evacuation plan. This can be a specific corner of a parking lot, a cross street, or a nearby building, depending on the location and size of the facility. Upon reaching a meeting point, have a way to account for all employees and personnel. Assigning a member of each department to check in with their coworkers to ensure safety is one way to achieve accountability.
Practice Evacuations
In school, fire drills are common practice. They are less common in the workplace, but regularly practicing fire and evacuation drills can save lives during an emergency. Conducting training sessions on evacuation procedures and ensuring employees understand their roles during the event of an emergency evacuation can make a scary situation less scary and reduce some of the chaos that comes with any type of emergency. Drills and practice runs can also be used to identify areas of an emergency exit plan that need improvement or modification.
When to Evacuate Immediately
Fire evacuation plans are generally one of the first things people think of when they hear of an evacuation plan. When to evacuate in case of an emergency may vary based on the geographic location, facility type, and building construction. Some disasters, such as a tornado, may require a shelter-in-place response, while the response to an earthquake may depend on the building structure and specifically where or what floor of a building you’re on. A raging fire is generally the cause of a complete building evacuation. Other potential reasons for evacuation include floods, chemical spills, or even workplace violence. No matter what the reasons for an emergency exit, having a plan in place that is understood by employees will help prevent disorganization, excessive panic, and further harm.
Singer Safety Company understands the need for a safe working environment and aims to help businesses avoid the need for an emergency evacuation. We manufacture various industrial and workplace safety equipment to take workplace safety to the next level. Soundproofing systems, industrial curtains, fire safety equipment, and welding screens can lower the risk of an emergency. Contact us today to discuss your safety needs.