Workplace Health and Safety

So, Why Is An Emergency Plan So Important?

The truth is every business should have a basic emergency plan and ensure that their staff or employees understand it.

Many small business owners and operators incorrectly believe that having an emergency plan is something that only much larger companies need to worry about. 

If the worst were to occur, the business needs to ensure that they comply with all aspects of their WHS responsibilities.

According to Safe Work Australia, “A PCBU must ensure an emergency plan is prepared for the workplace. This is a written set of instructions that outlines what workers and others at the workplace should do in an emergency. It must provide for the following: emergency procedures, including an effective response to an emergency.” A PCBU is defined as a person conducting a business or undertaking.

What is an emergency plan, and what should you focus on?

An effective and thorough emergency plan should guide you and your employees on what to do in case an emergency or disaster occurs. It should be customized to suit your business and detail emergencies or disasters that could occur at your workplace.

Things that you would need to consider in your emergency plan are the evacuation process, different emergency scenarios, where to seek aid or assistance, and who to contact in the case of an emergency.

The most important thing that your emergency plan needs to cover is the evacuation process for your business. If an emergency or disaster occurs, what is the evacuation process, where do your employees evacuate too, and how is the evacuation process managed?

The main information should be easily visible to all employees and placed in a location where the person responsible can access it.

Your emergency plan should take into consideration different emergencies such as fire, gas, floods, medical emergencies, and workplace accidents. You need to ensure that all information is kept up-to-date.

Consider 24/7 management phone contacts, emergency services contact numbers, medical assistance contact numbers, location of hospitals or medical treatment facilities, and how to get there.

Your emergency management plant should be reviewed every 6-12 months and be kept up-to-date with accurate information.

At the end of the day, as the PCBU, you’re responsible for the health and well-being of your employees and customers while they are at work. You need to ensure that you’re taking all steps to implement an accurate and reliable emergency management plan.

If you need help with your Emergency Plan, simply contact us today.