With terrorism and workplace violence in the news, workers are understandably concerned about their security. While there is no way to guard against every possibility, there are policies and relatively simple measures that employers can take to help secure a facility and protect personnel and property. Lack of adequate security can result in injury to employees and long-term economic disruption for companies. Employers need to address security concerns at the very highest level of the organization, integrate it into business operations and employment policies, and create awareness in every employee. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Emergency Response
Workplace Violence is Not a Random Act
Workplace violence is awful, and to deal with that awfulness, we tend to describe it as a random act by an unstable person. Yet, thats not true, according to Chris McGoey, an expert and consultant on workplace violence who has investigated many of the worst cases in recent history. “In virtually every case there were signs beforehand which were ignored,” says McGoey. Plus, the sad fact is, workplace violence is far more common than anyone would think. Even as this story was being written, media reports told of an ex-employee at a nail polish factory in New Windsor, N.Y., who returned a year after he was fired and shot a receptionist and the two owners of the business. A USA Today analysis last year indicated that an average of 25 people per week are injured and one person per week dies from workplace violence.
McGoey acknowledges that “its impossible to write a manual that will cover every possible scenario.” So, instead, McGoey says, you plan for a few probable ones and spend the rest of your time getting your response plan down pat. Here are some of McGoeys guidelines. Continue reading
Disaster Training or Training Disaster?
Emergency training is not “one size fits all.”
The proper emergency response to a fire might be quite different than to a hurricane, a release of toxic chemicals, or a terrorist attack. Not knowing the difference could make a bad situation a lot worse—and you don’t want to wait until a disaster happens to find out that your emergency training is … well, a disaster. So the first step in an effective training program is to identify what types of emergencies might actually occur and determine the appropriate response for each. This may mean that you need to have more than one type of training for different possible emergencies. Continue reading
Are Employees Prepared for Emergencies?
There are two different, but equally correct, answers to this question. The first answer is that OSHA requires an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) only for employers who are covered by certain standards, such as “Fixed Extinguishing Systems” and “Process Safety Management of Highly Hazardous Chemicals” (other standards also require EAPs). The second answer is that every company really should have an EAP. Not only does OSHA highly recommend it, but it simply makes sense to have a plan for a safe, orderly response to emergencies such as fires, weather events, releases of hazardous substances, etc. And note that even relatively minor incidents, such as small fires or spills, constitute an “emergency” if they trigger an alarm and require employees to stop what they’re doing and evacuate their work areas.
Swine Flu Outbreak Resources
As a public service, here are a few reliable and current sources for information in regards to the Swine Flu outbreak:
Webinar: Will Your Swine Flu Communication Plan Work?
Recorded April 29, 2009 – 11:30 a.m. PT/2:30 p.m. ET
1 hour (45 minutes content; 15 minutes Q & A)
Featuring Dr. Robert C. Chandler, Ph.D., crisis communication expert
- The current swine flu outbreak is a serious issue, and already swine flu-related rumors and misinformation are making the rounds. Will your constituents be able to tell fact from fiction? Are you prepared to quickly guide, advise, and protect your audience in this public health emergency?
Current Updates:
- World Health Organization (WHO) – swine flu site
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html - Centers for Disease Control (CDC) – swine flu site
http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/investigation.htmhttp://www.flu.gov
- U.S. government pandemic flu website
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/ - US State Department – travel advisories
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html
Pandemic Planning Resources/Articles:
“We have met the enemy, and he is us..”
For the last 5 years or so, we’ve been hearing all about this big danger of the H5N1 virus (aka Bird Flu) mutating to the point that it could be easily transmitted between people. Should this happen, experts say, the result would be a worldwide pandemic that could kill millions upon millions of people. Three out of five people who have caught this virus die. An estimated 243 of the 385 people it is known to have infected between late 2003 and mid 2008, according to the World Health Organization. Those infected were exposed to the virus from poultry, usually chickens, which they raised and were around for long periods of time.
The high mortality rate associated with the H5N1 virus is what scares the medical and emergency preparedness experts. If it mutates to the point that it can be passed from person to person, the results will be catastrophic.
Basic First-Aid Practices Can Save Lives
Every employee should know basic first aid.
If an employee is hurt in an accident, co-workers on the scene have to act fast. A few seconds one way or the other could make the difference between life and death when serious injuries are involved. Your employees don’t need to be medical experts to help an accident victim. With just a little first-aid training, they can provide valuable help in a medical emergency, and maybe even save a life. All employees should be able to respond with basic first aid to common workplace medical emergencies such as:
Emergency Response Teams
A critical component of any serious workplace safety program is the Emergency Response Team. In most workplaces, these teams are comprised of employee volunteers specifically trained with the skills needed to respond to worklace emergencies. These skills include first aid, CPR, AED and emergency evacuation.
“The fire department is just down the street. Why should my business assume the cost and liability of an ERT?”
