How Do You Account for Employees After an Evacuation?

How to Plan for Workplace Emergencies and Evacuations

What is a Workplace Emergency?

Accounting for all employees following an evacuation is critical. Confusion in the assembly areas can lead to delays in rescuing anyone trapped in the building, or unnecessary and dangerous search-and-rescue operations. To ensure the fastest, most accurate accountability of your employees, you may want to consider including these steps in your emergency action plan:

• Designate assembly areas where employees should gather after evacuating;
• Take a head count after the evacuation. Identify the names and last known locations of anyone not accounted for and pass them to the official in charge;
• Establish a method for accounting for non-employees such as suppliers and customers; and
• Establish procedures for further evacuation in case the incident expands. This may consist of sending employees home by normal means or providing them with transportation to an offsite location.