It’s Workplace Safety Month!
Emergencies aren’t planned, so you need to be prepared. To keep your workplace a safe place to be, you need to not only have the appropriate plans in place but have staff trained on them.
With the exception of emergency exit signs, few companies are prepared for a tornado alarm, a fire, or even an incident on the floor. That’s why we’re sharing some of the ways you can prepare your workplace for any emergency, whether natural, chemical, or human.
Requiring Emergency Equipment Training
Federal or state law requires you to have certain emergency equipment. You need fire extinguishers, automated external defibrillator (AED) equipment, and more. But how many team members know how to use the equipment in a pinch? And how many of them can use it correctly?
There’s a right way to use all safety and emergency response equipment. It’s your duty to not only have the devices and service them but to also make sure enough employees can use them to ensure they’re effective.
Installing Emergency Notification Systems
How will you notify your employees in the case of an emergency? Do you have an intercom? A phone tree? Can you reach all employees at once? Will the same message get to everyone?
Your ability to reach your employees when an emergency happens informs your ability to protect them. You can’t take the risk of important information getting lost in transmission. That’s why emergency notification systems are so important.
Emergency notification systems offer benefits like:
- Fast notification
- Real-time communication
- Effective targeting of groups
- Consistent messaging
Addressing Workplace Violence
Emergency preparedness extends beyond tornados, chemical spills, and Covid-19. Workplace violence is a pressing emergency, and according to the National Safety Council, 16% of workplace deaths in 2016 were the result of violence. Like other emergencies, it requires both prevention tactics and a response mechanism to mitigate the damage.
Remember that workplace violence is a diverse range of emergencies ranging from criminal activity like robberies to active shooter scenarios. And it can be carried out by a number of actors, including those who have no relationship to your workplace or company.
Protecting your employees falls under your ‘general duty,’ as prescribed by OSHA. You can read more on OSHA’s requirements for dealing with occupational exposure to workplace violence here.
Are You Prepared for Your Next Emergency?
Emergencies are difficult to forecast, but their unpredictability is part of what makes them inevitable. It’s up to you to ensure that your company has adequate emergency preparedness programs to protect your employees and your business.
Let Us Take Hiring Off Your Plate
Rely on Energi Personnel to provide your company with employees who are safe and properly trained, leaving you to focus on other important matters. Contact us today to discuss how we can help you with your staffing needs.
