EMERGENCY ACTION PLAN

A disorganized evacuation can result in confusion, injury, and property

damage. When developing your emergency action plan it is important to
determine the following:
• Conditions under which an evacuation would be necessary
• Conditions under which it may be better to shelter-in-place
• A clear chain of command and designation of the person in your business authorized to
order an evacuation or shutdown.
• Specific evacuation procedures, including routes and exits.
• Procedures for assisting visitors and employees to evacuate, particularly those with
disabilities or who not speak English.
• Designation of what, if any, employees will remain after the evacuation alarm to shut
down critical operations or perform other duties before evacuating.
• A means of accounting for employees after an evacuation.
• Special equipment for employees
• Appropriate respirators
CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH AN
EVACUATION WOULD BE NECESSARY
A wide variety of emergencies both man-made and natural, may require a workplace to be
evacuated. These emergencies include - fires, explosions, floods, earthquakes, typhoon, toxic
material releases, radiological and biological accidents, civil disturbances and workplace
violence.

Employers will want their employees to respond differently to these different threats. For
example, employers may want to have employees assemble in one area inside the workplace if
threatened by a typhoon or perhaps a chemical spill on an adjacent highway, but evacuate to
an exterior location during a fire. Your plan must identify when and how employees are to
respond to different types of emergencies. Ask yourself questions and brainstorm worst-case
scenarios. What would happen if the storeroom caught fire, the river flooded, or a chemical
release occurred in the shop?

The type of building you work in may be a factor in your decision. Most buildings are vulnerable
to the effects of disasters such as typhoon, earthquakes, floods, or explosions. The extent of
the damage depends on the type of emergency and the building's construction. Modern
factories and office buildings, for example, are framed in steel and are structurally more sound
than neighborhood business premises may be. In a disaster such as a major earthquake or
explosion, however, nearly every type of structure will be affected. Some buildings will collapse
and others will be left with weakened floors and walls.
AUTHORITY AND CHAIN OF COMMAND
It is common practice to select a responsible individual to lead and coordinate your emergency
plan and evacuation. It is critical that employees know who the coordinator is and understand
that this person has the authority to make decisions during emergencies. The coordinator
should be responsible for assessing the situation to determine whether an emergency exists
requiring activation of the emergency procedures, overseeing emergency procedures, notifying
and coordinating with outside emergency services, and directing shutdown of utilities or plant
operations if necessary.

In other instances, local emergency officials, such as the local fire department, may order you
to evacuate your premises. If you have access to radio or television, listen to newscasts to keep
informed and follow whatever official orders you receive.

When emergency officials, such as the local fire department, respond to and emergency at your
workplace, they will assume responsibility for the safety of building occupants and have the
authority to make decisions regarding evacuation and whatever other actions are necessary to
protect life and property. The highest-ranking responder will assume the incident command
role and will work with the onsite emergency coordinator, but will be responsible for directing
all response activities.
EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Chief Marshall

• The overall commander of the situation.

• Gives directive on the utilization of all company resources needed during emergency.
• Provide initial information to senior management.
• Maintain an overview of events to ensure that appropriate response strategy is
implemented during emergency.
• Decides and coordinates with the Management Committee or CMT if an emergency has
turned into a crisis

Incident Controller

• Respond to initial notification of an incident.

• Assess the emergency situation and establish initial response.
• Establish the status of the facility and casualty and decides if outside help is necessary.
• Establish and maintain a chronological log of events, discussions and commitments for the
duration of incident.
• Prepare initial report about summary of events
ASSISTING VISITORS AND EMPLOYEES
Many employers designate individuals as evacuation wardens to help move employees from
danger to safe areas during an emergency. Generally, one warden for every 20 employees
should be adequate, and the appropriate number of wardens should be available at all times
during working hours.

Wardens may be responsible for checking offices, bathrooms, and other spaces before being
the last person to exit an area. They might also be tasked with ensuring that fire doors are
closed when exiting. All employees designated to assist in emergency evacuation procedures
should be trained in the complete workplace layout and various alternative escape routes if the
primary evacuation route becomes blocked. Employees designated to assist in emergencies
should be made aware of employees with special needs (who may require extra assistance
during an evacuation), how to use the buddy system, and any hazardous areas to avoid during
an emergency evacuation.

Visitors also should be accounted for following an evacuation and may need additional
assistance when exiting. Some employers have all visitors and contractors sign in when entering
the workplace and use this list when accounting for all persons in the assembly area. The hosts
and/or area wardens, if established, are often tasked with helping these individuals safely
evacuate.
EMPLOYEES WHO MAY REMAIN TO
SHUT DOWN CRITICAL OPERATIONS
BEFORE EVACUATING
Certain equipment and processes must be shut down in stages or over time. In other instances
it is not possible or practical for equipment or certain process to be shut down under certain
emergency situations. This condition, which is not unusual for certain large manufacturers
operating complex processes, is not typical of small enterprises that normally can turn off
equipment or utilities if necessary and evacuate. However some small enterprises may require
designated employees remain behind briefly to operate fire extinguishers or shut down gas
and/or electrical systems and other special equipment that could be damaged if left operating
or create additional hazards to emergency responders (such as releasing hazardous materials).

Each employer must review their operation and determine whether total and immediate
evacuation is possible for various types of emergencies. The preferred approach, and the one
most often taken by small enterprises, is immediate evacuation of all their employees when the
evacuation alarm is sounded.

If any employees will stay behind, the plan must describe in detail the procedures to be
followed by these employees. All employees remaining behind must be capable of recognizing
when to abandon the operation or task and evacuate themselves before their egress path is
blocked. In small establishments it is common to include in your plan locations where utilities
(such as electrical and gas) can be shut down for all or part of the facility either by your own
employees or by emergency response personnel.
ACCOUNTING FOR EMPLOYEES AFTER
AN EVACUATION

• Designate assembly areas or areas, both inside and outside your workplace, where employees should
gather after evacuating. Assembly locations within the building are often referred to as "areas of refuge."
Make sure your assembly area has sufficient space to accommodate all of your employees. Exterior
assembly areas, used when the building must be partially or completely evacuated, are typically located
in parking lots or other open areas away from busy streets. Try and designate assembly areas so that you
will be up-wind of your building from the most common or prevailing wind direction.

• 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. 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. When designating an
assembly area, consider (and try to minimize) the possibility of employees interfering with rescue
operations.

• Establish a method for accounting for non-employees such as suppliers and customers.

• 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.
FIRE DRILL
A fire drill procedure can help ensure that your employees can get to safety quickly
and effectively in case of a fire, power outage or another disaster.

A fire drill procedure can help ensure that your employees can get to safety quickly
and effectively in case a fire, power outage or another disaster occurs during
working hours. Whether it's a chemical spill or a terrorist attack, employees need to
know the evacuation routes of the building where they work. Conducting regular fire
drills can ensure that they do.
 THANK YOU

AND

KEEP SAFE EVERYONE..