Emergency Preparedness and Response
Most organisations recognise the need to plan for and even rehearse emergency response. Conduct an environmental or safety audit of one of these organisations and they will provide you with procedures, flowcharts, emergency contact telephone numbers and evidence of evacuation drills.
OHS Consultants, Environmental, Health and Safety Consultancy
However in the vast majority of cases all of these activities will be focused on one or two emergency scenarios, typically fire and bomb threat (or in the case of a ‘cut and pasted’ plan for a certain Gulf of Mexico Oil Rig, perhaps “walrus attack”). This is an interesting situation because for most organisations bombs, fire (and certainly walrus attack) are neither the most likely nor the most significant emergencies scenarios for their operation. So what should they be managing?
An obvious example of emergency often overlooked is a serious medical emergency. Whether through injury or illness, the emergency treatment of employee, contractor or visitor is probably a scenario relevant to most organisations. All workplaces in Australia require some form of first aid resource including, with the exception of small employers, trained first aiders. However most first aiders get no opportunity to put their skills to use outside of the practical assessment they undertake as part of their training course.
This is just one example of an emergency scenario not considered by most organisations. There are scores more. However the goal is not to indiscriminately plan for every conceivable situation but to determine what emergencies deserve a share of the company’s limited resources.
OSHEM Solutions Principal Consultant, Peter Gaul, advocates a risk management approach to emergency preparedness; “Organisations should determine all possible emergency scenarios then use a risk assessment to decide which are relevant and require additional controls, possibly including response procedures and rehearsal”. Depending upon the nature and complexity of the operation, this process can be carried out using internal resources or through an external facilitator.
By undertaking such an approach, not only does the organisation demonstrate a systematic and proactive approach to emergency preparedness and response but also further develops a risk management culture focused on managing what matters.
Most organisations recognise the need to plan for and even rehearse
emergency response. Conduct an environmental or safety audit of one of
these organisations and they will provide you with procedures,
flowcharts, emergency contact telephone numbers and evidence of
evacuation drills.
However in the vast majority of cases all of these activities will be
focused on one or two emergency scenarios, typically fire and bomb
threat (or in the case of a ‘cut and pasted’ plan for a certain Gulf
of Mexico Oil Rig, perhaps “walrus attack”). This is an interesting
situation because for most organisations bombs, fire (and certainly
walrus attack) are neither the most likely nor the most significant
emergencies scenarios for their operation. So what should they be
managing?
An obvious example of emergency often overlooked is a serious medical
emergency. Whether through injury or illness, the emergency treatment
of employee, contractor or visitor is probably a scenario relevant to
most organisations. All workplaces in Australia require some form of
first aid resource including, with the exception of small employers,
trained first aiders. However most first aiders get no opportunity to
put their skills to use outside of the practical assessment they
undertake as part of their training course.
This is just one example of an emergency scenario not considered by
most organisations. There are scores more. However the goal is not to
indiscriminately plan for every conceivable situation but to determine
what emergencies deserve a share of the company’s limited
resources.
OSHEM Solutions Principal Consultant, Peter Gaul, advocates a risk
management approach to emergency preparedness; “Organisations should
determine all possible emergency scenarios then use a risk assessment
to decide which are relevant and require additional controls, possibly
including response procedures and rehearsal”. Depending upon the
nature and complexity of the operation, this process can be carried
out using internal resources or through an external facilitator.
By undertaking such an approach, not only does the organisation
demonstrate a systematic and proactive approach to emergency
preparedness and response but also further develops a risk management
culture focused on managing what matters.
Safety Photos……… Health and Safety for Beginners………SafetyRich
