What Should Your Emergency Action Plan Include?

How to Plan for Workplace Emergencies and Evacuations

What is a Workplace Emergency?

When developing your emergency action plan, it's a good idea to look at a wide variety of potential emergencies that could occur in your workplace. It should be tailored to your worksite and include information about all potential sources of emergencies. Developing an emergency action plan means you should do a hazard assessment to determine what, if any, physical or chemical hazards in your workplaces could cause an emergency. If you have more than one worksite, each site should have an emergency action plan.

At a minimum, your emergency action plan must include the following:

• A preferred method for reporting fires and other emergencies;
• An evacuation policy and procedure;
• Emergency escape procedures and route assignments, such as floor plans, workplace maps, and safe or refuge areas;
• Names, titles, departments, and telephone numbers of individuals both within and outside your company to contact for additional information or explanation of duties and responsibilities under the emergency plan;
• Procedures for employees who remain to perform or shut down critical plant operations, operate fire extinguishers, or perform other essential services that cannot be shut down for every emergency alarm before evacuating; and
• Rescue and medical duties for any workers designated to perform them.

You also may want to consider designating an assembly location and procedures to account for all employees after an evacuation.

In addition, although they are not specifically required by OSHA, you may find it helpful to include in your plan the following:

• The site of an alternative communications center to be used in the event of a fire or explosion; and
• A secure on- or off-site location to store originals or duplicate copies of accounting records, legal documents, your employees' emergency contact lists, and other essential records.