Have you reviewed your emergency management response plans to reflect the impact COVID-19 is having on your organisation? If your organisation’s working operations have changed because of COVID-19, don’t forget you should review your emergency plans and if necessary, update them.
Changes to consider include the reduction of staff numbers at your main place of work, staff working from home, or having to work across multiple locations.Emergency management response plans should contain the following basic information:
- How to respond to different types of emergencies
- Evacuation procedures
- Notification processes to emergency services
- Medical treatment and assistance
- Communication between the authorised person coordinating the emergency response and personnel at the workplace
- And now, communication processes to those authorised personnel who are working remotely
Where you have fewer people in the workplace and personnel working from home, have you considered who is available and trained as fire wardens and first aid responders? Is more training needed to ensure there is always an appropriate person on site? Do you need to alter your evacuation procedures or assembly points?
While you will have no doubt considered some information when developing a COVID-19 Plan, such as notifications to neighbouring businesses of a COVID-19 diagnosis amongst your staff on site, don’t forget to add this into your emergency response plan. Many already have a ‘pandemic’ plan included in their emergency response plan, however, with COVID-19 now a constant risk and the possibility of lockdowns within just a few short hours, it is a good time to expand on these plans and provide more guidance. This should include all the regular review and training of wardens, completing evacuation exercises and providing access to the emergency plan to all staff. Just because some of us are working remotely, it doesn’t mean a fire or chemical spill for example, won’t happen.
Are you ready?
For more information you can look at the Safe Work Australia website or contact Riskcom on +61 3 9415 1987 or at www.riskcom.com.au if you require assistance.
