Tag Archives: evacuation

General Safety Issues

Updating “The Office” Evacuation Plan (Guest Post)

Updating “The Office” Evacuation Plan

By Jessica Stark

You work in a completely average office. Well, aside from that guy in sales who seems oddly obsessed with his family beet farm. And you can’t forget the cat lady in accounting. Oh, and the weird inter-office romance going on in Human Resources.

Okay, then again, maybe no office can be considered “average.” With so many wild personalities packed into such a small place, there’s no shortage of interesting dynamics to yield an interesting workplace. Perhaps for that very reason, it’s important that your office has a solid plan for an emergency—you don’t, after all, want to put your fate in the hands of the beet farmer. But how can you test the plan to see if your team knows how to react to an emergency? If your answer was to lock the doors and windows before setting off the alarm, you may be more at home on a network sitcom than a productive office. Consider these four tips when updating and testing your office evacuation plan:

Survey Your Building – If you are updating your evacuation plan or building a new one from scratch, taking a good look at your building’s interior and exterior is the first step. See how many exits there are and if they are clearly marked with exit signs. Look for possible routes that may be more effective – is there an outside stairwell or fire escape from the third floor that would work better than the stairs inside? Think outside of the confines of your current plan to see if there are better solutions.

Choose a Gathering Point – Once you’ve found the most efficient way to get your team to safety, you need a safe spot to gather and do a headcount. How else will you be sure that the overly enthusiastic singer in sales didn’t hit his head on the way out? Pick a spot that’s a safe distance from the building and make sure that everyone gathers there instead of hiding in their vehicles so you can see if everyone made it out okay.

Check Lighting – If a disaster knocks out the power, your emergency lighting still has to work. Regularly check your emergency lights to be sure that the bulbs and power supplies are still in working order. Replace any outdated or non-functioning equipment with updated emergency lights and supplies so your team can see their way to safety.

Meet OSHA Standards – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has many standards for evacuation routes. Larger buildings require more exit routes, doors that may be mistaken for exits must clearly be marked “No Exit” and other standards are required. OSHA has a useful guide for building evacuation plans and meeting all required standards for safety in your workplace. Explore the requirements and make sure they are met to avoid fines and potential tragedies on the job.

Your team may be quirky and full of memorable characters, or filled with sleepy, crossword-obsessed salesmen. Regardless of who you work with, though, an up-to-date and effective evacuation plan is a must for any workplace. Survey your building’s layout to find the most effective routes out in case of an emergency, make sure that your equipment is working and meets all standards and find a place to gather your team.

Thanks, Jessica, for this informative article.  Having a few safety posters around the office may help everyone remember to be very aware of emergency exits.  Pat

 

 

General Safety Issues, Weather Protection

IT’S A WAITING GAME…………

As of this writing, Saturday, August 27th, the Northeast coast of the U.S. is ready and waiting to see what Hurrican Irene does.  Many precautions have been taken, and people seem to be paying attention to the warnings that the authorities have given them to evacuate.  As early as Friday, New York City hospitals were transferring patients to other hospitals or home, if they were able to go,  as long as they are out of harm’s way.

The United States has seen its share of weather abnormalties this year – excessive rain in some parts, and extreme drought in the Southern and Midwestern states.  There’s too much rain in places, and too little in others.  As they say, “feast or famine.”  Last spring, there were tornadoes that devastated communities, and residents are just now beginning to rebuild.  Flooding occurred as a result of heavy snows melting from the mountains.  Another unusual type of disaster – the wildfires that ravaged thousands of acres in Texas and California.  Then, what about the “dust bowl” in Arizona?  Believe me, if you’ve ever lived in a desert area, you know what those dust storms are all about.   So, Mother Nature, what goes?

These are seasonal storms that make their way out of the Atlantic or Gulf of Mexico and leave paths of destruction.  TODAY: MONDAY, AUGUST 29TH:  Irene has passed by the Northeastern coast, leaving approximately 21 dead;  and damage estimated at $7 billion.  Irene turned into a tropical storm late Sunday, leaving flooding behindd and possible spawning of tornadoes.  New Yorkers were relieved that it was not like the nightmare authorities feared.  According to today’s Ft Worth Star-Telegram, causes of deaths included water, falling trees, and electricity.  There will be many homes and businesses that must be repaired or rebuilt, but another big challenge is restoring power to the 4.5 million homes and businesses without power.  Travelers have been inconvenienced by delayed flights and other means of transportation.  The light at the end of the tunnel is that most of those involved in this area paid attention to the weather warnings and heeded their advice.

As the news and weather personnel instruct everyone, be prepared.  They are doing their job to warn us in the event of a natural occurrence.  We must do our part to be ready.  As advised, have a plan for your family, where you can go to escape the threat, and have your emergency supplies packed and ready.

  • A 3-day supply of fresh water.
  • Non-perishable food.
  • Important papers.
  • Cell phone and battery charger.
  • Flashlight, and candles in case of power outage.
  • Arrangements for your pets. Take them with you if possible.
  • Extra clothing.
  • Keep your car filled up with gas during threatening weather.

Here we go, complaining (naturally) about the terrible weather conditions that our nation has gone through this past spring and summer.  Then, I think about what our young men and women are going through, wearing all that heavy gear, as they fight their way in hot, dusty, dirty countries.  I feel sure they would love to be in the good old U.S.A., regardless of the threat of storms.  The kind of storm they battle every day is more fierce  than anything we can imagine.

This also brings to mind the horrible earthquake in Japan, and the struggle their citizens are coping with to rebuild parts of their country.  Haiti, another country that had a devastating earthquake, is still coping with the disaster that hit their land.  Again, what is going on with Mother Nature? How about giving Mother Earth a break?

Eye Protection, First Aid Safety, Head Protection, Protective Clothing, Respiratory Safety, Weather Protection

BEING READY FOR A SAFE EVACUATION

As we go to work every day, we never expect a disaster to happen.  In the event of a natural or manmade occurrence, are we really prepared?  Weather forecasts help us anticipate bad storms, hurricanes, or tornadoes, but there could be any type of problem within the walls of our workplace, or accidents near our location that make it imperative for us to evacuate the premises.  Have you thought about what you would do if an evacuation were necessary?  Has your company given you instructions? 

Preparing for an emergency evacuation is an on-going project.  Employers and employees together should establish a good plan and have every one on board before an unforeseen situation happens.  In a crisis, it’s hard to think logically, so planning in advance and imagining the worst-case scenarios will be beneficial.  Fire, floods, toxic gas releases, chemical spills, explosions, radiological accidents, hurricanes, tornadoes, civil disturbances, or workplace violence resulting in bodily harm and trauma could cause a serious emergency.  

When drafting an emergency plan, a responsible individual should be chosen to lead and coordinate the emergency plan and evacuation.  This person would have the authority to make critical decisions during emergencies.  All workers would then understand who that coordinator is and follow his instructions. 

Be certain that every employee knows the escape procedures and where safe  refuge areas are.  Duties of persons responsible for reporting the emergency; those who are to render first aid, employees who shut down operations are all parts of the chain of command that each employee should be familiar with.  Special consideration should be given to assisting employees with disabilities.  An assembly area for gathering after an evacuation should be designated.  Take a head count after the evacuation.  Give the names and last locations of the persons not accounted for to the official in charge. 

Personal protective equipment may be needed to evacuate during an emergency.  A workplace assessment can determine potential hazards in your particular workplace.  PPE may include the following: eye protection – goggles, safety glasses, or face shields; head protection – hardhats; body protection – gloves, hoods, boots, or chemical suits.  Respirators should be appropriate to the hazards in your workplace, meet OSHA standards and be certified by NIOSH.  In case of an emergency  evacuation, your safety consultant may feel that respiratory protection may be necessary if the employees must pass through toxic atmospheres, such as dust, mists, gases, or vapors. 

This is the general training to be addressed by your employees, as recommended by OSHA:

  •       Individual roles and responsibilities;
  •       Notification, warning, and communications procedures;
  •       Threats, hazards, and protective actions;
  •        How to locate family members in an emergency;
  •        Evacuation, shelter, and accountability procedures;
  •        Location and use of common emergency equipment;
  •        Emergency response procedures;
  •        Emergency shutdown procedures. 

Conducting fire drills often is very important.  The more often drills are done, the more familiar the employees will become with what is expected of them.  Hopefully, this will never affect you; however, being prepared instead of panicked could possibly save lives.

 

 

General Safety Issues, Weather Protection

WHEN DISASTER STRIKES, ARE YOU READY OR NOT?

National Preparedness Month is in September, but we’re getting a head start by promoting the “Ready or Not” campaign, which was launched by the Texas Department of Health Services on July 8th.   This yearlong project will focus on being sure that Texans are prepared for floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, or any other natural disaster that may occur.  Each state probably has excellent disaster plans, but hopefully, we can share ideas that will help ensure that your entire family will be prepared. 

Take the time to locate important records such as names and phone numbers of your family physician, pharmacy, and your veterinarian or kennel that cares for your pets.  You need to place those documents, as well as your insurance information, social security, and other records in a plastic bag that can be easily accessed if you need to evacuate your home.  List out-of-town contacts, too.  Take a moment to also think about what you would grab, if you had to leave in a hurry, of course, including your pets.

You and your family should sit down and talk about what you will do, and where you will meet, in case your cell phones don’t work.  Think about where each one is during the biggest part of the day, and have phone numbers for work, school, and daycare.  Find out if your child’s school or daycare facilities have site-specific emergency plans and familiarize yourself with them.  

Stay tuned to your news or NOAA weather service.  If you are advised to evacuate, do so.  Families could plan to check on neighbors that they know may not be able to follow these rules if they are physically unable to get to safety.  

Supplies are a big priority.  Keeping a supply kit of many of these items in your car is a good plan:

  • Three-day supply of water, and non-perishable foods
  • Flashlight
  • Hand-operated can opener
  • Plastic plates, cups, utensils
  • First Aid Kit
  • Respirators (N-95)
  • Personal Hygiene Items
  • Garbage Bags
  • Prescription Medications
  • Cell Phone
  • Battery-powered radio
  • Sunscreen
  • Insect repellent
  • Maps
  • Photo in case you are separated
  • Pet needs 

We never know when disaster will strike.  Being prepared is the best way to be safe and survive.