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 employees, consider including these steps in the EAP:
- Designate assembly areas where employees should gather after evacuating;
- Develop procedures for taking a head count after the evacuation. Identify the names and last known location of anyone not accounted for and pass this information to the coordinator;
- Establish a method for accounting for non-employees such as suppliers and customers; and
- Establish procedures for further evacuation in case the incident expands, such as sending employees home or providing transportation to an offsite location.
