Why roles are important during a crisis in the workplace

Emergencies can occur in the workplace at a moment’s notice. These can range from physical emergencies like a fire or earthquake, or internal emergencies like cyberattacks, drastic change in management, or even acquisitions.

Role delegation is a crucial response in the event of such emergencies. According to risk management expert Michael Saltzstein, companies risk losing thousands of dollars or even the lives of employees if these emergencies are not handled properly. Here are some reasons why roles are important during any workplace crisis:

Employees with emergency-related roles are given necessary training

In the event of physical emergencies such as fire, flooding, or earthquakes, having a point person in the department to ensure the safety of everyone else is necessary. They should also be trained basic skills such as the proper use of fire extinguishers, administration of CPR, and safely conducting an emergency escape.

Less work disruptions

A department ill-equipped to handle emergencies could end up doing overlapping work, which is ultimately unproductive. According to Michael Saltzstein, delegating personnel, as in the formation of a crisis management team, allows everyone else to remain focused on their tasks.

Quickly identify steps to solve the crisis

Given that crisis leadership is delegated ahead of time, it gives leaders enough time to prepare for these scenarios. They can also do assessments every now and then to ensure that such emergencies would not occur. These may include software checks, inspection of the physical integrity of hardware, and conduct of drills to disseminate safety procedures.

Michael Saltzstein specializes in risk management and corporate insurance, having served the organization as Chairman for Risk Management Task Force, Local General Chairman, Local Officials Chairman, and Local Safety Chairman. For more information on Mr. Saltzstein, visit this website.