{"id":873,"date":"2019-09-12T13:49:33","date_gmt":"2019-09-12T20:49:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/?p=873"},"modified":"2024-02-05T14:13:10","modified_gmt":"2024-02-05T22:13:10","slug":"workplace-prepared-handle-emergencies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.absorbentsonline.com\/spill-containment-blog\/workplace-prepared-handle-emergencies\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Your Workplace Prepared to Handle Emergencies?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Learn the essentials for workplace emergency preparedness<\/em><\/h2>\n
\"Workplace

Escape route procedures are one part of workplace emergency preparedness<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

It\u2019s easy to think \u201cIt couldn\u2019t happen to me\u201d \u2014 until it does. Too often, we don\u2019t focus on workplace emergency preparedness until disaster strikes. And by then, it\u2019s already too late.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s certainly the case for some U.S. employers. For instance, many are less prepared than they should be for emergencies in the workplace.<\/p>\n

Consider a 2014 report from the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) and RLE Technologies. Its findings state that 19% of organizations lack an up-to-date\u00a0emergency preparedness\u00a0and\u00a0business continuity\u00a0plan<\/a>. And\u00a0Staples\u2019 2014 workplace safety survey<\/a> shows that only half of employees believe their workplaces are prepared for a severe emergency.<\/p>\n

Don’t get caught without an emergency response plan<\/h3>\n

Think an emergency can’t hit you hard? Think again.<\/p>\n

\"emergency

Firefighters and emergency services respond to a chemical spill
Source: nhregister.com<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

A variety of emergency situations could easily disrupt business operations. Consider the impact of a medical emergency or a short-term Internet outage. Let alone more catastrophic events. For instance, building and environmental damage. Be it due to severe weather<\/a>, a hazardous spill<\/a>, equipment failure, or a terrorist attack.<\/p>\n

Your business needs to be ready. Because if you don’t have an emergency action plan<\/a> in place to deal with events like these, you risk non-compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. Specifically, 29 CFR 1910.38(a)<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a029 CFR 1926.35<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And if non-compliance with the U.S. Department of Labor’s occupational safety requirements isn\u2019t scary enough, an emergency can have many other dire consequences. For instance, without proper planning, you risk jeopardizing employee workplace safety. Or, even shutting down the business. In fact, according to the Institute for Business and Home Safety<\/a>, one in four businesses\u00a0never reopens<\/em> after a natural disaster.<\/p>\n

What does emergency planning require?<\/h3>\n

You don\u2019t want to be that one in four business that has to close its doors for good after an emergency strikes. So how do you ensure that you\u2019re ready to deal with a disaster if,\u00a0or\u00a0<\/em>when,<\/em>\u00a0it comes?<\/p>\n

Fortunately, both OSHA<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and Federal Emergency Management Agency<\/a> (FEMA)<\/strong> offer comprehensive guidelines and resources. Which can assist businesses in developing their emergency preparedness plans.<\/p>\n

Your workplace preparedness and emergency action plan should address these areas:<\/p>\n