Definition of emergency
An emergency is an abnormal and dangerous situation needing prompt action to control, correct and return to a safe condition.
Types of emergency
Potential emergencies in the meat on site include fall from height, electric shock, fire, explosion, structural damage, power or equipment failure, and confined space mishaps.
Emergency plans
You must also have plans in place to deal with workplace emergencies. This emergency plan must provide:
- Emergency procedures, which include:
- An effective response to an emergency
- Evacuation procedures
- Notifying emergency service organizations at the earliest opportunity
- Medical treatment and assistance
- Effective communication between the authorized person coordinating the emergency response and all persons at the workplace
- Testing of the emergency procedures, including the frequency of testing
- Information, training and instruction to relevant workers in relation to implementing the emergency procedures.
All workers should be familiar with emergency procedures for the workplace, such as:
- Who to report to in an emergency
- Emergency telephone numbers
- Evacuation procedures and the designated meeting place
- The type of fire extinguisher to use for different fires.
The supervisor should:
- Have knowledge of the emergency procedures for the site, and the application to his or her area of responsibility
- Ensure all workers under their supervision are aware of the procedures, including early warning and evacuation
- Ensure all workers are aware of who the wardens and first aid officers are
- Ensure all workers have been trained and have practiced emergency procedures
- Ensure maintenance of all equipment including fire extinguishers, warning systems, emergency lighting and exits
- Be trained in the use of emergency equipment such as a fire extinguisher.
Emergency Response & Procedure
Fall from Height
If a worker falls and is suspended by a safety harness, implement the emergency response plan by following the steps below.
- All workers in the immediate vicinity of the incident stop working.
- Calls 999 to notify local police, fire, and ambulance.
- The site supervisor (or a worker assigned to the task) isolates the accident zone and its perimeter to limit further exposure.
- Assemble the emergency rescue team at the accident site as quickly as possible to determine the best rescue procedure for the situation.
Electrical Shock
In an electrical emergency it’s important to do the right thing, calmly and quickly. Be sure to share this information with everyone at home and work, so you’re well prepared if an emergency occurs.
What to do:
- Never touch the injured person if they are still in contact with a live source of electricity
- Switch the power off, either at the source or at the main power switch. If you touch the person while they are still in contact with a source of electricity you will also get an electric shock or be electrocuted.
- Phone for an ambulance immediately – dial 999
Earthquake
During an earthquake, people in most workplaces are at the greatest risk from collapsing ceilings, windows, light fixtures, and other falling objects.
What to do:
- If indoors, stay there.
- Take cover under sturdy furniture, or to brace yourself against an inside wall.
- Do not use elevators. Use stairways to leave the workplace if the order is given to evacuate.
- Stay away from objects that could fall. Protect your head and neck, and
- Be ready to rescue victims; professional responders may not be able to respond; remove victims to a triage area if possible.
Explosion
Any workplace that handles, stores, or processes flammable gases, liquids, and solids is vulnerable to explosions, which offer no warnings, and often cause disorganization and panic.
What to do:
- Try to establish communication with emergency-scene coordinators.
- Administer first aid if it is safe to do so.
- Estimate human injuries and casualties.
- Assess damage to the workplace.
- Do not use elevators, and
- Evacuate following the established procedures.
Fire
If needed, invite a local fire department representative to the workplace to help identify fire hazards and to discuss how the workplace should respond to a fire. It is the byproducts of fire – smoke and fire gases – that kill. A quick, orderly evacuation is the most effective response to an out-of-control fire.
What to do:
- Pull the fire alarm (or set off the predetermined signal).
- Call 999; tell the dispatcher the location and the nature of the emergency.
- Inform an emergency response authority.
- Do not use elevators, and
- Permit only trained responders to use fire extinguishers.
If emergency scene coordinators or other employees are permitted to use fire extinguishers, they will be properly trained in their use.
Hazardous-Substance Release
Hazardous substances include solvents, pesticides, paints, petroleum products, and heavy metals—any substance hazardous to health. Even if our workplace does not use hazardous substances, could it be affected by a nearby release or an accident on a local freeway? If so, the Emergency Action Plan must describe how the scene commander and coordinators will respond, and notify fire and police departments.
What to do:
- Inform the emergency response authority.
- Evacuate the area surrounding the release, and
- Call 999, and tell the dispatcher the location and the nature of the emergency.
Medical
The most likely workplace emergency is a medical emergency. A serious medical emergency, such as cardiac arrest, requires immediate attention, and response time is critical. It’s essential that medical first responders know how to perform first aid/CPR.
What to do:
- Call 999. Tell the dispatcher the location and the nature of the emergency.
- Do not move the victim unless necessary to save their life.
- CPR or other first-aid tasks.
- Inform the emergency response authority.
- Assist professional medical responders when they arrive, and
- Inform the victim’s supervisor, who will notify the contacts in the victim’s personnel file.
Weather-Related Event
Hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, and floods are likely to be the cause of weather-related workplace emergencies. Many communities experience floods following warm spring rain. Winter storms often bring strong winds, freezing rain, and snow that can cause structural damage and power outages.
What to do:
- Wait for instructions from the emergency-scene commander; a power failure will slow communication.
- Tune a battery-powered radio to a station that broadcasts local news, and
- Do not evacuate the workplace unless ordered to do so.
- Inform the emergency response authority.
Threats of Violence
In reality, threats of violence may be delivered in many forms: face-to-face, by fax, e-mail, phone, or in writing. Threats can be directed toward the workplace or toward a specific person. Police departments, mental health professionals, and employee-assistance program counselors offer prevention information, security inspections, and employee training that help reduce the risk of workplace violence.
What to do:
- Inform an emergency response authority.
- Activate a silent alarm, if appropriate, and if your workplace has one.
- Isolate the threatening person if it’s possible to do so safely, and
- Inform the emergency-scene commander
Bomb Threats
Take all bomb threats seriously. Although these threats are rare, they deserve the complete attention of those who receive them.
What to do:
- Do not use fire alarms or phones in the building—they generate radio waves that could trigger a bomb.
- If someone finds a package that may contain, or that may be a bomb, he or she should note its size, shape, and whether it emits a sound, and then notify the emergency-scene commander.
- Call 999 from outside the building to report the emergency and determine if an evacuation is necessary.
- Use a communication method that does not generate radio waves to order the evacuation, and
- Consider offering threat-management training to emergency-scene coordinators, and if appropriate, members of quick-response teams.
Terrorism
Although terrorist acts pose minimal risks to most workplaces, the devastating effects of recent acts have changed the perception of a “secure workplace.” Terrorism has also added a new dimension to emergency planning. What distinguishes terrorist acts is the use of threats and violence to intimidate or coerce.
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The above procedure should be maintained by all responsible personnel of this company at workplace to ensure minimum loss of life, health and wealth.
