1. Determine Potential Emergency Events
What sort of event might necessitate a workplace evacuation? The list of potential circumstances is long, but some examples include: fires, gas leaks, toxic spills, workplace violence, explosions, civil disturbances, or natural disasters like flooding, tornadoes, or hurricanes. Identify which events or potential scenarios might result in your specific workplace or building requiring an evacuation. You will want to familiarize your employees with these potential scenarios.2. Appoint a Clear Chain of Command
Create a clear emergency chain of command so that if something happens, everyone knows who to go to or notify. Some roles to consider assigning include:- A main point of contact or decision maker — this person calls emergency services and decides whether to evacuate
- 1-2 coordinators to complete safety tasks and shut down any dangerous processes at your facility, if applicable
- Someone who will take attendance after the evacuation and make sure all employees are present or accounted for
- A first aid rep who is trained to manage any injuries while waiting for emergency services to arrive