Oct 10
15

What is an Emergency Action Plan?

From the Department of Labor

by Jeffrey C. Friedman
www.eaplan.com

What is an Emergency Action Plan?

An emergency action plan (EAP) is a written document required by particular OSHA standards [29 CFR 1910.38(a)]. The purpose of an EAP is to facilitate and organize employer and employee actions during workplace emergencies. Well developed emergency plans and proper employee training (such that employees understand
their roles and responsibilities within the plan) will result in fewer and less severe employee injuries and less structural damage to the facility during emergencies. A poorly prepared plan, likely will lead to a disorganized evacuation or emergency response, resulting in confusion, injury, and property damage.

Putting together a comprehensive emergency action plan that deals with those issues specific to your worksite is not difficult. It involves taking what was learned from your workplace evaluation and describing how employees will respond to different types of emergencies, taking into account your specific worksite layout, structural features, and emergency systems. Most organizations find it beneficial to include a diverse group of representatives (management and employees) in this planning process and to meet frequently to review progress and allocate development tasks. The commitment and support of all employees is critical to the plan’s success in the event of an emergency; ask for their help in establishing and implementing your emergency action plan. For smaller organizations, the plan does not need to be written and may be communicated orally if there are 10 or
fewer employees [29 CFR 1910.38(b)].

At a minimum, the plan must include but is not limited to the following elements [29 CFR 1910.38(c)]:

  • Means of reporting fires and other emergencies
  • Evacuation procedures and emergency escape route assignments
  • Procedures to be followed by employees who remain to operate critical plant operations before they evacuate
  • Procedures to account for all employees after an emergency evacuation has been completed
  • Rescue and medical duties for those employees who are to perform them
  • Names or job titles of persons who can be contacted for further information or explanation of duties under the plan

You can find out how to get a great, totally distributed Emergency Action Plan by contacting support@eaplan.com

Check them out on the web at www.eaplan.com

Posted in Fire & Safety Risk Assessment by Jeffrey Friedman. Comments Off on What is an Emergency Action Plan?
Risk is one of the most overlooked areas in business in spite of the fact that it is clear to most business owners that operate any business involves a certain level of risk. Prudent business owners take care to minimize the risk, just as you would in any other type of risky venture you undertake. A good risk management system is a continuous process of analysis and communication.  The Risk Alliance is a group brought together to address and assist business owners with managing risk.

Feb 10
2

Risk Assessment & Business Impact

Assessing and addressing Information Availability
Information Availability is crucial to business and it is vital to understand the threats and risks that the business may be vulnerable to. Threats and risks to your business are everywhere. They have likelihood of occurrence and associate impact – both of which may vary. Left unchecked, it is possible that an event (or series of events) could disrupt business, the supply chain – or even result in the failure of a business and organizations dependent upon it.

Phase 1 – Business Impact Analysis (BIA)

  • Conducting a Business Impact Analysis and Risk Assessment enables you to put in place the appropriate prevention, containment and recovery strategies to protect your business from such Impacts.

Identify the following:

  • The critical professes, priorities and single points of failure
  • The key dependencies, both internal and external
  • The inherent risks and vulnerabilities that may exist

Phase 2 – Risk Assessment (RA)

The RA provides a review of the business risks and threats, looking at physical, logical and procedural risks. It allows the business to act on recommendations to reduce their exposure to risks and vulnerabilities. As a result of both BIA and RA the business will have a better understanding of the impacts and risks facing it and will therefore be better positioned to determine priorities and timescales for continuity and be able to establish a risk mitigation process. This will form the basis for putting in place a viable continuity strategy.

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Posted in Risk Assessment by Jeffrey Friedman. Comments Off on Risk Assessment & Business Impact

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