What are emergency plans?

Emergency plans are procedures outlining the processes when an emergency occurs in your workplace. These plans should be aimed at advising your employees, contractors and visitors what to do.

You can alter the emergency plans dependent on the scope of the workplace and the type of work carried out. It is recommended that your plans include the following:

1. List of potential emergency situations, e.g. fire, flooding, earthquake, medical emergency 
2. For each potential emergency situation document the procedures to take when that situation occurs. This will include instructions, training and relevant information for your employees
3. Include evacuation procedures
4. Document the steps for notifying the relevant emergency services
5. Procedures relating to medical treatment or assistance
6. Intentions and frequency for testing these emergency procedures
7. Floor plan of your workplace outlining the locations for:
   • Medical – first aid, eyewash, defibrillators
   • Fire fighting equipment – extinguishers, blankets etc
   • Spill kits
   • Egress – exits, lifts, walkways
   • Assembly points

If your organisation operates in a low-risk environment the emergency plans might not need to be too complicated.

It is also important that every employee across the organisation is aware of the emergency coordinator and activator and the steps that will be taken to keep risk as low as possible.

If a worker is going to be attending multiple workplaces, it is required that they are aware of all relevant emergency plans.

Common emergency situations that occur in the workplace are: 

• Gas leak
• Fire
• Chemical spill or leak
• Water or electricity outage
• Natural disasters (Earthquake, floods, cyclones, wildfires)
• Robberies or bomb threats
• Medical emergency

Emergency Planning Best Practice: 

It is important that you maintain and frequently test your organisation’s emergency plans so that you know everyone is on the same page. This is especially important if you run an organisation with high levels of turnover, as new employees will always need to know what plans are in place.

If there are changes in the laws or regulations within your Country, this may also require you to review your current emergency plan. Be sure to keep up to date with the legal requirements related to your industry.