Finally, it is time for the emergency plan you so carefully designed to face a real test. The crisis you foresaw is here – are you ready? How to ensure safety of your customers and employees during emergencies?
Can you confidently say that your customers and employees are safe?
Yes? Bravo!
Now, let’s go over the details again and run a quick drill. Remember: you can’t be too careful about crisis management.
3 Ways To Ensure Safety For Your Facility Occupants During Emergencies
1. Make Your Emergency Action Plan Accessible & Enticing
Not everyone would read your Emergency Action Plan (EAP). While your employees might do out of obligation, your customers are under no such rules. So, how can you get them to read it?
First, you should appropriate the use of language. Make the contents of your EAPs as readable as possible.
To attest that, you could have a 9th grader test for you. Let him read, then ask him to explain. If the interpretation were accurate, then proceed to print and share. Otherwise, simplify the grammar.
Another thing is translations. Do you run a multinational company? What is the local language of the current base? How often do citizens of other countries patronize your services?
The answers to those questions will guide you on how many translations you’d make for your EAP.
Second, ensure that the prints are available. You should instruct your employees to leave out a copy at crucial areas of your facility like the entrance and waiting room.
About accessibility, make extra efforts to convert the EAPs to downloadable/shareable eBooks. That way, everyone can have it at the tip of their fingers.
Lastly, use audiovisuals. If occupants won’t read your EAP, then convert it to audio files and play within your halls. Perhaps that’s too much noise; you could engage the services of a graphics designer to turn your EAP into infographics that you can hang on the walls.
2. Appoint Response Team Leaders Based On Mock Test Performances
Understandably, you might want to retain your department heads as leaders for your various Emergency Response Teams (ERT). But you shouldn’t use such a basis.
Instead, choose ERT head strictly on performances from mock emergencies. That way, you get agile and active-performers to lead your occupants.
Besides, this is an opportunity to delegate duties to non-leaders within your organization. The best part: such an act will foster a sense of belonging across your workforce.
3. Resources Should Be Available And In Optimal Condition
Indeed, your workforce and customers are resources, but that’s not the focus here. The resources in this context are your safety equipment & facilities and the emergency notification system.
For equipment and facilities, do you have enough? Considering that emergencies vary, you should use crisis-specific tools. In that case, you should ensure that a shelter-in-place is available.
For your notification system, these are technological products. For that reason, you should ensure you check them regularly.
Usual worries such as power and technical glitches shouldn’t surface when you face a crisis. Else, you risk damage to your facility occupants.
More importantly, do well to get quality emergency products. Look out for only standard & certified agencies, such as Advanced Egress Solutions, Inc., for your supplies. Visit our site today to learn more tips on how to ensure safety of your customers and employees during emergencies!
Related article: Getting Effective Crisis Management With Emergency Notification Systems3 Emergency Equipment Your Business Needs Right Now