Problems don’t step at your door with prior information. In the dire situation of a criminal activity, people are only left puzzled. The police may arrive, but how early or how late – you never know. EAP– that is, emergency action plan is necessary to minimize the effect of stress on employees in your property. If you have employed people from a well-reputed security guard company for security services, they will definitely help other employees with the regular drills, so they know how to act during desperate times.
A properly devised plan will lead to lesser number of injuries and employees shall be unaware of their responsibility at the time of crisis. If the plan of evacuation from building is improper, what shall be the use? It will only cause more damage than what would have been controlled.
Questions or Situations to keep in mind for Emergency action plan
- Consider all the natural emergencies that could impact your workplace
- Earthquakes, floods, cyclones, landslides
- Consider the aspects of man-made emergenices that could cause damage
- Fires, civil disturbance, violence, explosion, thefts, robbery
- Conduct a hazard assessment approach, whilst seeking guidelines with a security guard company. They will help identify where the problem still lies.
- Imagine the worse-case scenario that could impact both internal and external environment. For example, when COVID19 happened, most offices had no measures left to offer work from home. The result was deduction in salaries and in worse case, intense lay overs.
- Develop a response by collaborating ideas with your team. Have a list of key people in your office who could offer potential solutions. Who will be the ones that are quick to respond in emergency situation? Are there any employees who you have hired to seek help from in an emergency? If not, it’s time you get in touch with a security guard company and seek essential measures.
- Do you have the contact of people in your immediate surroundings who you will be quick to respond? For example if there is a fire at your work place, will anyone in the neighbouring areas come to the rescue or guide you? Do you have the contact of those people who could rush at the hour of need? It is crucial to develop relations with the people you are surrounded with to safeguard yourself from threats and disruptions.
- Has your current team any idea about how to conduct rescue operations? People need to be trained enough to conduct them with ease. They should be aware of the procedures that have to be followed step by step, and with priority. If you have hired officers from a security guard company, then you can be relaxed and need not worry of the guidelines that shall have to be followed.
- Evacuation plan is important. Last, but not the least part of the strategy will be a carefully designed evacuation plan that will help all the employees in case of a crisis. Once the plans are in place, practicing drills shall be conducted to ensure safety of your office building.
