How to prepare for emergencies
Fire, bomb scare, wall collapse, chemical spill - we all hope emergencies will not occur, but a sad fact of life is that they do. So we need to adopt procedures for use in emergencies well before they happen if we are to minimise their traumatic effects...
1. Install smoke alarms and fire extinguishers.
Some of the most common emergencies are fire-related. You can be prepared by taking some simple precautions.
Contact your local fire service and ask them to visit your premises and provide advice on the strategic placement of fire extinguishers, smoke alarms, and other necessary precautions. Several smoke alarms and fire extinguishers will be required on most sites. The key is to install and maintain. Prepare a schedule that ensures you test your equipment on a regular basis. Clean the equipment annually and have regular alerts to check the efficiency of equipment and procedures.
2. Introduce procedures for bomb threats.
The bombing of businesses and public places has increased in recent years and can no longer be seen as an occurrence common only to politically sensitive areas of the world. Take bomb threats seriously and ensure your team is trained in the correct procedures. Specialists in this field can help you with your training, but general guidelines would include:
- Train the team in procedures for tracing telephone calls.
- Ensure your team knows how to attract the attention of another team member without tipping off a telephone caller.
- Record the time and date of threatening phone calls.
- When a caller phones, try and obtain information on where the bomb is, what it looks like, when it is set to explode, what will detonate it, why it was set, and who the bomber is.
- Ensure people do not use radios, walkie-talkies, or cellular phones in the area of the bomb.
- Contact the police immediately.
3. Know what to do after a break-in.
Professional thieves may break into your premises after you have closed for the day. If you arrive next morning and discover a break-in, take the following steps:
- Do not enter the premises.
- Use the nearest telephone to call the police.
- If you do go into the workplace, do not touch anything.
- Wait for the arrival of the police before cleaning up or allowing access to customers and staff.
