EMERGENCY ARRANGEMENTS - 14.09.2012

Be prepared for all sorts of emergencies

Not normal

You might think that unusual emergency incidents won’t happen to you so you don’t need to worry about them, but as one of our subscribers found out, this isn’t always the most sensible approach to follow.

Our subscriber had to deal with local children who thought it amusing to fire an air-rifle at staff and students as they walked on and off a college campus.

Prompt action taken?

However, their members of staff didn’t have a plan so no action was taken. Fortunately, the children armed with the air-rifles weren’t particularly good shots and no one was injured.

Tip. Although the police should be called in such a situation, those responsible for the premises must take immediate action to ensure that their staff and customers are kept out of the proverbial firing line.

Unforeseen

Although our subscriber had prepared detailed emergency procedures, they only covered two scenarios: what to do in the event of a fire and if a suspect package was found. Other potential emergencies hadn’t been considered.

Therefore, because staff were unsure what to do, no one took overall charge of the situation. There was no co-ordinated response to see gates closed, staff and students redirected or kept inside etc.

Be prepared

We’re not suggesting that you have an “under attack with an air-rifle policy”, however, you should have systems in place which enable you to deal with all conceivable emergency situations.

Possible scenarios could include security breaches, break-ins and outbreaks of violence etc.

Tip 1. Don’t create separate policies for each one - doing so will be more of a hindrance than a help.

Tip 2. Create an “emergency situations policy” that covers everything other than fire (see The next step).

Make it short, easy to follow and identify who should:

• take overall charge of an incident
• contact the police or other emergency services
• shut gates, activate alarms etc.
• organise places of safety for staff to congregate in.

Tip 3. To keep it simple, those given responsibilities to fulfil in the event of an emergency, should be similar, if not the same, as those who would take charge in the event of a fire.

Tip 4. Brief staff so that they know who to follow and where to go in an emergency situation.

Tip 5. Update your policy annually so that it reflects current staff roles.

For a free sample emergency situations policy, visit http://healthandsafety.indicator.co.uk (HS 11.01.07).