Emergency Response Plan (BHV)

Emergency Response Plan (BHV)

Being prepared

An emergency is any unplanned event that can cause death or serious injury to your employees; disrupt operations or shut down your business; cause material or environmental damage and threaten your company’s financial standing and reputation.

Every year a large number of incidents and accidents occur at the workplace. Ranging from minor incidents as paper-cuts and bruises to bigger events as severe water or fire damage. A complete power outage will not only cause major disruptions in operations, leading to severe financial damage, but could also impose a threat to the safety of your employees.

Accidents at the workplace can be fatal or cause serious injury for an employee, leading to (long term) disability and financial claims. Costs involved in accidents at the workplace are very often high and one of the direct consequences of an accident at your workplace could be damage to your company’s reputation.

This is why it is important to invest in creating a solid safety culture for your workplace. Durable measures implemented to reduce the risk of accidents at the workplace will prove to be a wise investment.

The Emergency Response Plan 

Goal of an Emergency Response Plan is containment and control over safety risks within your company. It includes all necessary information, measures and provisions made to minimize consequences of a company accident following pre-established procedures. The plan also provides guidelines for providing adequate emergency first response.

An Emergency Response Plan is documented in a concise manner and should be easy to understand to all (both internal staff as well as visitors). For an Emergency Response Plan to stay accurate and up to date, it is eminent that its’ contents are evaluated and its’ procedures rehearsed on a regular basis.

An Emergency Response Plan includes:

• General information on the company, emergency response organization and emergency response materials
• Intructions for employees
• Emergency procedures per incident, including evacuation plan
• Maps of the company premises, escape routes and location of safety and protective material
• Attachments including; phone details of key-persons, rehearsel schedule, training outline, plan of communication, registrationforms for company accidents and rules for storage and protection of dangerous or flammable goods.

For the purpose of setting up and executing an Emergency Response Plan an Emergency Response Committee needs to be established. This committee will be connecting to external emergency response services (fire department, ambulance, police). 

By practicing emergency plans, procedures and instructions laid down in an emergency plan on a regular basis, the Emergency Response Comittee will be best prepared in case an emergency arises.

By carefully evaluating and analyzing practice sessions, the Emergency Response Comittee can learn and improve on procedures. 

A training in Emergency First Response is required for those involved in providing First Aid in case of injury.

The Emergency Response Officers 

Emergency Response Officers are employees that are willing to inform, educate and train fellow co-workers in the fields of safety and health. The must be trained to step into action the moment an incident occurs within your company and form an important link in your company’s Emergency Response Plan. In case of emergency Emergency Response Officers are the ones to notify external emergency response services.

Training for Emergency Response Officers should include:

• First Aid or Emergency First Responder training
• Basic fire-fighting skills
• Skills for reducing the consequences of an accident
• Learning how to notify and evacuate co-workers and all other persons present on the premises of the company in case of emergency
• Acting as the contact person for external emergency response services.

How about your Emergency Response Plan?

Would you like to learn more about the Emergency response Plan or do you seek advice or support in establishing, maintaining and improving on your Emergengy Response Plan or Commitee? Feel free to contact us at 00297 587 8880.