The emergency action plan is a document that provides guidelines and templates for emergency planning. EAP aims to prepare workers for unexpected scenarios like floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages, fires, etc. In a natural disaster, individuals should call 911, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) should be activated.
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Key Takeaways
- An EAP is a written document that describes home or workplace emergencies and several ways to address them.
- Some emergencies when you might need an EAP include fire, explosion, tornadoes, hazardous material spills, severe weather or power loss, etc.
- A well-prepared EAP helps everyone understand how to respond to an emergency occurring in the workplace.
- Different elements of an EAP include understanding regulatory requirements, your organization's needs, customization, chain of command, and evacuation procedures or routes.
What Is An Emergency Action Plan?
An emergency action plan (or EAP) is a written document that includes potential workplace emergencies and ways to address them. Organizations must ensure that their EAP follows the guidelines provided by the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration).
Developing a well-structured emergency action plan will lead to fewer severe employee injuries and less structural damage to the property during an emergency situation. Different types of emergencies might occur in a workplace, such as:
- Fires and explosion
- Tornadoes
- Hazardous material spills
- Active shooter
- Severe weather or power loss
- Floods and hurricanes
- Medical emergencies
- Radiology and biological accidents
- Any other workplace violence
An emergency action plan (EAP) is an essential part of an organization's safety procedures and can help keep employees safe, reduce injuries and property damage, and even help an organization recover from emergencies more quickly. OSHA requires businesses to have an EAP if they have fire extinguishers or if anyone will be evacuating during an emergency.
Importance of An Emergency Action Plan
An emergency action plan (EAP) is essential for many reasons, including safety, preparedness, response, and recovery. A properly crafted EAP helps employees learn how to respond to different types of workplace emergencies and helps a company recover more quickly.
Some simple ways to report emergencies are to use intercoms, internal telephone numbers, or public address systems to notify other employees about the emergency. If external emergency personnel are used at the workplace, consider dialing 911.
You may also use internal numbers to report emergencies. These numbers are sometimes connected to the intercom systems to make coded announcements. Sometimes, employees are also requested to activate manual pull stations or alarm systems in emergencies. Regardless of what system is used, it is essential to take immediate action and prevent excessive damage to life and property.
Here are some emergency planning resources you can check out while preparing EAP:
Pre-Incident Planning
- Fire Service Features of Buildings and Fire Protection Systems- US Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) Publication 3256-07N
- Standard on Pre-Incident Planning- National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1620
Protective Actions for Life Safety
- Evacuation Planning Matrix– OSHA
- Evacuation Plans and Procedures eTool- OSHA
- Design Guidance for Shelters and Safe Rooms- Ready.gov
Elements of An Emergency Action Plan
A disorganized emergency action plan can lead to confusion, property damage, and injury. When developing a well-structured EAP, you'll need to understand its different elements. While each action plan is different, the process is similar for various industries. Let's explain different elements briefly:
Regulatory Requirements: When preparing the emergency action plan, you must ensure it meets the legal requirements of the industry and location.
Your Organization's Needs: Next, the emergency action plan will depend on the organization's size and complexity.
Customization: You'll need to look for a template or digital solution that helps you customize the emergency evacuation plan templates as required.
Chain of Command: Then, you can create and implement a clear chain of command that everyone will follow during emergencies. Additionally, you need to make sure everyone understands their respective roles and responsibilities during such situations.
Evacuation Procedures or Escape Route: Most people create maps using floor diagrams to designate the exit route assignment. When deciding escape routes, make sure to clearly mark the areas that are wide, well-lit, and clear of debris at all times. You can check OSHA's floorplan diagram example and OSHA's interactive floorplan demonstration to create evacuation routes.
How to Make An Emergency Action Plan
There are a lot of things that you need to keep in mind when preparing an emergency action plan. It includes the steps individuals need to take to minimize disruptions and increase the speed of the recovery process. Here, we will include the different steps to follow to make an emergency action plan:
Evaluate the Emergency
The first step is to evaluate the workplace's vulnerability and determine the likelihood of an emergency. For instance, floods are the most common natural disaster in the United States and can pose a great threat to workplaces located in flood-prone areas or lower levels. Similarly, other natural disasters might occur in other specific areas. This will help you understand if your working area lies at high risk.
You'll also need to determine if shelter in place or evacuation is more suitable for the particular type of emergency. Regardless of your preference, gathering resources, special equipment, or extra facilities is essential to handle the situation appropriately. If the situation seems to worsen, you may consider consulting with experts or local emergency services.
Determine Exit Route
Next, you need to determine the exit routes in the floor plan. According to OSHA best practices, your workplace should have at least 2 exit routes as far apart as possible. The doors of the exit gates should swing out in the evacuation direction, and employees must be able to open the door from inside without any keys or tools.
Identify Safe Areas
After evacuating, everyone will move to the safe area or assembly point called scout. When choosing the secure area, you'll need to ask the following questions:
- Is a good cell service and signal accessible in the area?
- Is the area relatively and usually safe?
- Will employees have any difficulty locating the area after evacuation?
- Is the area properly lit?
- Does this area have quick access to emergency services such as hospitals?
Develop Evacuation Procedures
It's the most crucial step in the emergency action plan. It involves developing a step-by-step evacuation procedure from each workplace area to the safe point. For instance, if one employee is in room 1 and another is in room 5, they must follow exit routes 1 and 5 to reach the designated safe area.
Discuss With Employees & Assign Responsibilities
Once you've prepared the emergency evacuation plan, consider holding a meeting with all the employees to discuss whether the safe areas and exit routes are ideal. Ask for feedback from the employees and revise the evacuation plan based on the feedback. Once the evacuation plan is approved, establish a chain of command and delegate responsibilities to the employees.
For example, Officer 1 would be the co-ordinator or leader of the evacuation, and Officer 2 would take the lead if Officer 1 is unavailable during an emergency. The wardens will direct employees to the designated exit routes until they reach the safe. According to OSHA, you need to assign one evacuation warden to every 20 employees. Once everything is sorted, distribute digital copies to all employees.
Conduct Training
Next, you need to conduct training sessions every three months, including test runs, drills, and other practical exercises. You may also train the employees in first aid procedures, including the use of an escape-only respirator, protection against bloodborne pathogens, and respiratory protection. If in-house training is not possible, you can enroll employees in emergency training programs provided by the American Red Cross or the local fire department.
Review & Update Plan
Remember, preparing an emergency action plan is never a one-time thing. You'll need to keep reviewing and updating the plan as needed. Whenever there is any update or revision in the crafted action plan, notify all the employees.
5 Phases of Emergency Management
Emergency management involves managing risks to the workplace communities and the environment. Here are the five phases of emergency management that you need to understand when creating the emergency action plan:
Prevention: It mainly focuses on preventing hazards from occurring, including natural, man-made, or technological hazards. While not all hazards are preventable, a good emergency action plan can reduce the risk of injury and loss of life.
Mitigation: It typically includes actions that prevent an emergency and reduce its damaging effect. It also includes creating defensible space around houses for wildlife protection, building codes, and zoning requirements.
Preparedness: It is the continuous cycle involving planning, organizing, training, exercising, equipping, evaluating, and taking corrective measures during an emergency situation. Appropriate training and emergency preparedness will help everyone understand how to prepare for a situation of disaster.
Response: It is the reaction to the occurrence of an emergency or catastrophic disaster. It involves action aimed at saving lives and reducing economic losses. Response actions include evacuating threatened populations, providing emergency rescue and medical care, and opening shelters.
Recovery: It consists of activities to restore basic services, debris cleanup, rebuild roads and bridges, sustain mass care for displaced animal and human populations, and provide financial assistance to governments and individuals.
Tips for Implementing An Emergency Action Plan
Developing an emergency action item is not enough. Instead, you'll need to properly implement the plan to ensure the safety of workers and employees. Here are some more tips for implementing an emergency action plan:
Use a Template
Many government resources, such as the CDC or OSHA, provide checklists, templates, and other valuable resources that can provide guidance for creating evacuation plans. These resources act as a starting point to ensure no important detail is missed.
Perform a Risk Assessment
You need to perform a risk assessment to carefully identify potential emergencies that might occur in the organization. The risks are directly related to the work your organization performs with its location. Additionally, the potential outcomes of each emergency should be discussed with everyone involved in the organization.
For instance, natural disasters often lead to power outages that affect the organization's operations. Hence, your emergency action plan should include investing in a backup power source like Jackery Solar Generators.
Assess Your Availability Resources
Next, you need to identify the internal and external resources that will support you during an emergency. These typically include local public services, such as emergency medical services, law enforcement, or fire departments. Internal resources include fire extinguishers, alarm systems, and individuals who can help during an emergency.
Jackery Solar Generators for Emergencies
Emergencies are often unexpected and can wreak havoc on daily life. For example, there can be severe weather, power outages, blackouts, etc., that can affect the regular work. That's where a portable solar generator can come into the picture. Jackery is a leading solar brand that manufactures high-quality and efficient solar generators, portable power stations, and solar panels.
The Jackery Solar Generator is made by combining the Jackery Portable Power Station with a set of Jackery SolarSaga Solar Panels. When the solar panels are placed under direct sunlight, they absorb the solar energy and produce DC electricity. The pure sine wave inverter of the Jackery Portable Power Stations converts DC to AC electricity to charge essential emergency appliances.
Jackery Solar Generator 3000 Pro
The Jackery Solar Generator 3000 Pro is a large solar-powered generator designed to charge emergency essentials and appliances. It can charge 99% of your household or work appliances, including refrigerators, CPAP machines, induction cooktops, power tools, and lights. For those living or working in an area that's prone to unexpected power outages or blackouts, the large-capacity generator would be the ideal pick. Thanks to the double wheels and foldable handle, you can also carry it easily to outdoor locations.
Appliances Running Time
- Refrigerator (500W) = 5.1H
- CPAP Machine (40W) = 64.2H
- Lights (10W) = 257.0H
- Induction Cooktop (1100W) = 2.3H
- Portable Fan (50W) = 51.4H
Customer Review
"All I can say is it ran in my refrigerator for 12 hours and only got down to 60%. That's without solar panels. Also ran my PC (lots of social media videos), Xbox, and fan on another day, and it got down to 12%. Pretty impressive." — Rhys Adams.
Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus
If you're looking for a solar generator that works for both indoor and outdoor appliances, you may consider investing in the Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus. Its expandable capacity and portability make the solar generator ideal for charging heavy-duty appliances anywhere. With the help of the Jackery Battery Pack 2000 Plus, the battery capacity expands from 2kWh to 24kWh. Hence, it's ideal for charging 99% of household or worksite appliances during long-term power outages.
Appliances Running Time
- Refrigerator (500W) = 3.4H
- CPAP Machine (40W) = 43.4H
- Lights (10W) = 173.6H
- Induction Cooktop (1100W) = 1.5H
- Portable Fan (50W) = 34.7H
Customer Review
"Best investment for our business we do craft shows. We use the Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus with 2 Solar Saga 200w panels to power our XTool F1 portable laser air purifier laptop and lights on our canopy and if the power goes out I can power my Cpap machine no need to pay the vendor for electricity." — Kevin J. Craig.
Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus Kit (4kWh)
The Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus Kit (4kWh) provides stable power to heavy-duty appliances consuming up to 6000W. This portable solar-powered generator is ideal for extended blackouts or power outages caused by severe weather or grid failure. It can also be connected to the home's electrical circuit to charge essential appliances like refrigerators and CPAP machines during power outages.
Appliances Running Time
- Refrigerator (500W) = 6.9H
- CPAP Machine (40W) = 86.8H
- Lights (10W) = 347.2H
- Induction Cooktop (1100W) = 3.1H
- Portable Fan (50W) = 69.4H
Customer Review
"The Jackery Explorer 2000 Plus and Battery Pack with the 400W solar panels package is a great combination for home backup and RV usage. The 120VAC and RV receptacles and the others are great on the unit. I like the idea that if I need more power, I can purchase another battery pack." — Larry Gee.
Emergency Action Plan Example
The sample emergency action plan can serve as a starting point for creating a plan that meets most of the OSHA guidelines. You can modify the EAP template to reflect your company's procedures and policies. The emergency action plan sample typically includes the following items:
- Emergency personnel names and phone numbers.
- Evacuation routes are marked on a map that represents the emergency exits, primary and secondary routes, the locations of fire extinguishers and fire alarm pull stations, and assembly points.
- List the emergency numbers of different departments, including fire, paramedics, ambulance, police, federal protective service, security, and building manager.
- Emergency contacts of the electric, water, and gas utility companies.
Once all the important emergency contacts are added to the emergency action plan template, the next step is to add the type of emergencies reported by the site personnel, such as medical, fire, severe weather, bomb threat, chemical spell, etc. Depending on the emergency, you'll need to prepare a detailed plan and mention the important elements of EAP. If you're looking for an example of an emergency action plan, here's an EAP sample from the CDC.
Emergency Action Plan FAQs
What size of solar generator do I need for an emergency?
The right size of solar generator needed for an emergency depends on the essential appliances you're planning to charge simultaneously and the time for which you would like to charge them. For instance, there's a power outage in your area due to severe weather, and you want to charge a refrigerator (500W) and lights (10W) at the same time. If you are using the Jackery Solar Generator 2000 Plus to charge these appliances, the working hours can be calculated as follows:
Working Hours = Battery Capacity in Wh × 0.85 / Operating Wattage of the Appliances = 2042.8Wh × 0.85 / 510W = 3.4H.
Note: The 0.85 is the power factor that represents the power loss caused when charging the electrical appliances.
What OSHA standards require an emergency action plan?
According to OSHA standards, almost every business is required to have an EAP (Emergency Action Plan). For example, if your workplace involves fire extinguishers and if anyone evacuates during a fire or any other emergency, then OSHA requires you to have an EAP.
What are the 3 C's in the emergency action plan?
The three basic C's to remember in an emergency action plan include check, call, and care. Check means checking if there's anything that looks unsafe. If there are severe or emergency situations, call 911 immediately. Once the scene is checked and you've called for help, start providing care until medical professionals arrive on the scene.
Do all employers need an emergency action plan?
No. Employers with 10 or fewer employees don't require a written plan. However, they will still need to meet the other requirements of the EAP and must communicate all the essential elements to the employees.
What is an emergency plan checklist?
The emergency plan checklist includes six basic items: food, water, clothing and bedding, first aid supplies, tools and emergency supplies, and special items. All the items should be kept in an easy-to-carry container, such as a duffle bag, backpack, or covered trash container.
Final Thoughts
The emergency action plan focuses on the safety of employees and visitors during an emergency. However, you should keep reviewing and updating the EAP to adjust it to account for any changes. Since emergencies can happen anytime, a plan can help everyone feel safe and confident. For instance, you'll need to keep an emergency supply kit with essentials such as first aid supplies, food, water, and a power backup source. If there's a power outage in your area, the Jackery Solar Generators act as reliable solar-powered generators to charge essential appliances such as refrigerators, lights, power tools, etc.
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