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An emergency action plan (EAP) is a written document required by certain OSHA standards to aid employees in successful evacuation in an emergency, as well as successful shutdown of critical operations.
Almost every business is required to have an EAP. If fire extinguishers are required or provided in a workplace, and if anyone will be evacuating during a fire or other emergency, then OSHA requires an EAP. The only exemption to this is if an employer has an in-house fire brigade in which every employee is trained and equipped to fight fires, and consequently, no one evacuates. In most circumstances, immediate evacuation is the best policy, especially if professional firefighting services are available to respond quickly. There may be situations where employee firefighting is warranted to give other workers time to escape, or to prevent danger to others by spread of a fire. In this case, the employer is still required to have an EAP.
Employers who are required to have an EAP must: