EMERGENCY PLANNING IN COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS

Hurricane season sweeps through the Lone Star State from June through November. While the Gulf of Texas is far less likely to be hit by a hurricane than Florida, the increasing number of tropical storms and hurricanes we’ve seen in recent years means you can never be too careful. Here’s what building owners and property managers need to think about when preparing their staff for an emergency.

Know the Risks

If your building isn’t near the coast, you probably don’t have to worry about a hurricane. Whether it is an earthquake, heatwave, chemical threat, or power outage, your emergency-preparedness plan should address the threats like are most likely and will have the highest impact.

Build a Team

A good emergency plan is created by an inclusive team made up of members from different departments. It’s important to take into account how a plan could affect anyone so you can create a plan that protects everyone.

Make Information Accessible

Bigger isn’t always better. If your emergency plan takes up an entire threering binder, it’s probably too long. Your plan should address the risk and outline action steps as concisely as possible. Ideally, you’ll be able to fit the plan on a flip chart or something of equal size. Your staff needs to be able to read and understand the plan quickly.

Update Alert Procedures

A big part of emergency plans involves being certain your staff knows what an emergency alert means. If your plan involves making a coded announcement so everyone in the building is aware of the situation, will your staff all know what the announcement means? Include this in the emergency plan and outline the appropriate response procedure for a given situation.

Using Outside Help

Make arrangements with key contractors in advance. Knowing that you have immediate access to electricians, plumbers, or even water-restoration contractors helps you plan for those unseen emergencies.

Test the Plan

You might not have the means to conduct a costly, time-consuming drill, but there are other ways to test your emergency-preparedness plan. Tabletop exercises are often the best way to test a plan. Select individuals meet to discuss a hypothetical emergency and walk through the steps for handling said emergency. This allows you to address who is responsible for what part of the plan, determine how quickly the plan can be carried out, and identify any weak links to correct.

The right emergency plan can mean the difference between life or death in the time of a crisis. Make sure you are protecting your staff and prepare a plan than can help keep everyone safe. You may never need it, but if the time comes, you’ll be glad your plan is ready and waiting.