Evacuation plans

If the aftermath of 9/11, when approximately 4,000 World Trade Center employees died but 25,000 were saved, there is a renewed emphasis on the need for viable evacuation plans.

According to OSHA, the best evacuation plans include employees in the planning process, specify what employees should do in an emergency and ensure that employees receive proper training for emergencies. After you develop a plan, review it with employees and make sure everyone knows what to do before, during and after an emergency. Keep a copy of your evacuation plan in a convenient place where employees can review it.

The evacuation plan should contain the following elements:

* preferred procedures for reporting emergencies, such as dialing 911
* a description of the alarm system to be used to notify employees to evacuate and/or take other actions
* an evacuation policy, procedures and escape route assignments so employees understand who is authorized to order an evacuation, how to evacuate and what routes to take
* procedures for employees who remain on site after the evacuation alarm sounds
* procedures to account for employees after the evacuation to ensure that everyone got out
* duties, responsibilities and names of employees assigned with rescue and medical tasks