Does Your Beacon Business Have a Proper Evacuation Procedure? | SERVPRO® of Western Dutchess County

10/17/2020 (Permalink)

Cover all of your bases with an evacuation plan involving all staff members, the more the better!

For business owners with staff who work on location, emergency planning is about more than
just protecting your building and your belongings—it is vital that you keep your staff safe in the
event that an emergency breaks out, as well.

Though OSHA requires that every business has an emergency action plan, having it is only the
first step. From there, it is important that you memorize it, communicate it to employees and
practice it often so you can be certain that everyone knows what to do if they must suddenly
evacuate and can do so quickly.

Below, we will look at some of the key considerations for drafting and implementing your
emergency action plan so you can be certain that you can keep panic at bay and keep your staff
safe in a disaster scenario.

Creating an Emergency Evacuation Plan for Your Business: Consider the Possible Scenarios

The most common scenario that you should practice evacuation for is a sudden fire, but it is
important to think through all the possibilities that might leave you needing to guide everyone to a swift exit. This will help drive all of your future decisions, so be sure to seriously consider all the possibilities.

Plan out Evacuation Routes

Your evacuation routes should cover every area of your building to ensure that no matter where
anyone is when an emergency strikes, they can get out quickly. Every area should have two
exits in case one becomes blocked, and it is wise to keep pathways free of clutter or
obstructions so there are no obstacles to a quick escape.

Rehearse Your Evacuation

Including all employees in this process is vital, as it is a must that they know what to do during an
emergency as well. Have regular evacuation drills that involve different scenarios and evacuation routes so that everyone is as prepared as possible. Once the drill is over, bring the group together and review the process, giving everyone the chance to ask questions or bring up difficulties that arose during the drill.

If your business is damaged in a fire, storm or another type of emergency, you can count on us
to help. Contact us at any hour to report your damage and get a quick response from our
expert team of commercial restoration technicians. We're always here to help.