Are you prepared for an emergency?
Posted on Thu, Mar 12, 2009 @ 03:13 PM
By Rick Foote, Industrial Consulting Services Manager
When we hear on the news that someone was injured or killed during an emergency we will ask ourselves the same questions:
Are we prepared to react during an emergency?
Are our smoke detectors working?
Are the exit signs lit? Are doors blocked?
Most of us will look around the room and say 'yes' and maybe mutter the following:
• I have been through numerous drills about how to exit the building; I know how.
• We have had some many fire drills; I could walk out blind folded.
• I have looked at the map on the wall regularly.
But, what if the path we have trained ourselves on is blocked? Now, we have a dilemma.
We need to think quickly about how we get out - Yet, we panic and stress kicks in - what now?
In order to avoid this dilemma, we need to train ourselves and our employees on at least two different paths of egress. This will allow us to have a new option on exiting safely and quickly.
During your next fire drill, block the normal path of egress and watch how employees react. Some will try to go the route they were trained in and possibly walk into the situation, while others will stand there and not know what to do, and some will look for another exit. In any of these cases valuable time will be lost and injuries and death may occur. Therefore, it is essential that everyone develop at least two paths of egress wherever you go to ensure that you can react calmly to any situation that may arise.