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IS YOUR WORKPLACE READY FOR AN EMERGENCY?
SAFE BUSINESS SOLUTIONS (SBS) REMINDS US OF THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS IN PLACE.
We are faced with many risks both work-related and personal when a disaster hits. When you compare our country with other OECD countries, you will nd in most cases we have a higher risk of a seri- ous event happening that will cause fatalities, injuries, and serious disruption to you, your workers and your business.
All workplaces should be prepared to deal with an emergency of any nature, at any time, and the best time to respond to an emergency is before it happens. As the saying goes: “Fail to plan; plan to fail”, and this de nitely applies to emergency preparedness and response. Having a plan in place to deal with emergencies and ensuring that all workers are aware of it and trained on it is one of the best things that your company can do to prepare to deal with an emergency. Here are some tips for emergency planning and prepar- edness in the workplace:
1. DEVELOP A PLAN THAT TAKES ALL EMERGENCIES INTO CONSIDERATION In this plan include policies and procedures for worker safety. ese policies should also include contingency plans that deal with poten- tial damage to facilities, and how employees, vendors and custom- ers will be handled during and a er the event. Be sure to include a chain of command and ensure all workers know from whom to expect communication in the event of an emergency.
2. TRAIN ALL AFFECTED WORKERS, SUB-CONTRACTORS AND ANYONE ELSE WHO MAY BE AFFECTED
What good is an emergency response plan if no one knows about it, or what it contains? Training is a crucial part of any plan’s suc- cess. Communicate the plan with everybody and ensure that eve- rybody understands the roles, responsibilities and expectations. All workplaces are required to provide some level of rst aid to their workers. First aid helps injured workers to receive limited medi- cal attention in case of an emergency that can help minimise their injuries and bring comfort.
3. REVIEW THE PLAN AND UPDATE AS OFTEN AS REQUIRED
Best practice stipulates that all workplace policies and procedures should be reviewed at least annually to ensure any changes to the business in the past year are addressed and/or still applicable.
Having a plan in place and following it when the time comes will mitigate the damage to your business and hopefully reduce or completely avoid injury or fatality to your workforce. It may also help you get back to business sooner, which is important for your bottom line.
■ If you need assistance to formulate your emergency plan, give SBS a call on 0508424723 or email info@safebusiness.co.nz.
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