Making your business and your workforce more ready for emergencies

Post date: Sep 28, 2020 8:54:48 PM

An emergency situation really does not have a way of announcing itself well in advance. However, businesses can be more prepared for it with a few adjustments that can orient the behavior of their employees, which can be useful when an emergency comes. To save lives and avoid unwanted expenses, Martin Sanders shares his advice on how to do this.

1. Practice drills

There’s nothing more advantageous in an emergency situation than having a group of people who know exactly what to do when the need arises. This is the biggest motivation in practicing drills. Other than the normal evacuation drill, employees should also be trained with drills on how to protect themselves during an earthquake. Even the act of queueing in an organized fashion can make a huge difference too, stresses Martin Sanders.

2. Prepare the space In emergency situations, the place of work should be ready to accommodate a free-flowing movement. As you design your floor plan, ensure that there is enough walking space for people to move swiftly when the alarm sounds off. Eliminate the risk of injury due to falling debris by removing heavy equipment from high places, as these could fall during earthquakes. Ensure that fire extinguishers are available in all rooms in your office. 3. Draft a backup plan Companies should subscribe less to the idea that whenever an emergency or a crisis arises, operations should stop, even if this is for prolonged periods. The truth is, a company could shorten the gap in operations by putting a backup plan in place. Draft a plan that allows a company to have mixed on-site and work-from-home operations. When you can, designate a backup venue for work to be done in case of emergencies, advises Martin Sanders. Capt. Martin Sanders Sanders has more than 12 years of service in the field of epidemiology and occupational safety and health, with extensive experience in biological defense activities and infectious disease outbreak investigation. For more information, visit this page. Disclaimer: This site was prepared by Martin Sanders in his personal capacity. The opinions expressed are the author's own and do not reflect the views of the USPHS, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the United States government.