Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Workplace Emergencies
and Evacuations
U.S. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
OSHA 3088
2001 (Revised)
This booklet provides a generic overview of a standards-
related topic. This publication does not alter or determine
compliance responsibilities, which are described in the
OSHA standards and the Occupational Safety and
Health Act. Because interpretations and enforcement
policy may change over time, the best sources for
additional guidance on OSHA compliance requirements
are current administrative interpretations and decisions
by the Occupational Safety and Health Review
Commission and the courts. This publication is in the
public domain and may be reproduced fully or partially
without permission. Source credit is requested but not
required.
OSHA will make this information available to sensory
impaired individuals upon request. Call (202) 693-1999.
How to Plan for
Workplace Emergencies
and Evacuations
U.S. Department of Labor
Elaine L. Chao, Secretary
John L. Henshaw, Assistant Secretary
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
OSHA 3088
2001 (Revised)
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
W hat is a workplace emergency? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
H ow do you prot ect yourself, your employees, and your business? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
W hat is an emergency act ion plan? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
W hat should your emergency act ion plan include? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
H ow do you alert employees t o an emergency? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
H ow do you develop an evacuat ion policy and procedures? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Under what condit ions should you call for an evacuat ion? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
W hat is t he role of coordinat ors and evacuat ion wardens during an emergency? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
H ow do you est ablish evacuat ion rout es and exit s? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
H ow do you account for employees aft er an evacuat ion? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
H ow should you plan for rescue operat ions? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
W hat medical assist ance should you provide during an emergency? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
W hat role should employees play in your emergency act ion plan? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
W hat employee informat ion should your plan include? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
W hat t ype of t raining do your employees need? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
H ow oft en do you need t o t rain your employees? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
W hat does your plan need t o include about hazardous subst ances? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
W hat special equipment should you provide for emergencies? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
H ow do you choose appropriat e respirat ors and ot her equipment ? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
W ho should you coordinat e wit h when draft ing your emergency act ion plan? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
W hat are O SH A s requirement s for emergencies? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
W hat ot her O SH A st andards address emergency planning requirement s? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
W hat assist ance does O SH A provide? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
W hat educat ion and t raining does O SH A offer? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
W hat ot her publicat ions does O SH A offer? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
W hat elect ronic services does O SH A provide? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
W hat free onsit e consult at ion does O SH A provide? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
W hat are t he Volunt ary Prot ect ion Programs? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
W hat part nership opport unit ies does O SH A provide? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
W hat is t he value of a good safet y and healt h program? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
W hat is t he role of st at e programs? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
W hat ot her groups or associat ions can help me? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
A ppendices:
1 . O SH A Regional and A rea O ffice Direct ory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2 . O SH A -A pproved Safet y and H ealt h Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3 . O SH A Consult at ion O ffices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Contents Page
v
1
N
obody expect s an emergency or disast er especially one t hat
affect s t hem, t heir employees, and t heir business personally.
Yet t he simple t rut h is t hat emergencies and disast ers can st rike
anyone, anyt ime, and anywhere. You and your employees could
be forced t o evacuat e your company when you least expect it .
This booklet is designed t o help you, t he employer, plan for t hat
possibilit y. The best way t o prot ect yourself, your workers, and your
business is t o expect t he unexpect ed and develop a well-t hought -
out emergency act ion plan t o guide you when immediat e act ion is
necessary.
A
workplace emergency is an unforeseen sit uat ion t hat t hreat ens
your employees, cust omers, or t he public; disrupt s or shut s
down your operat ions; or causes physical or environment al damage.
Emergencies may be nat ural or manmade and include t he following:
Floods,
H urricanes,
Tornadoes,
Fires,
Chemical spills,
Radiological accidents,
Explosions,
A preferred met hod for report ing fires and ot her emergencies;
Rescue and medical dut ies for any workers designat ed t o perform
t hem.
You also may want t o consider designat ing an assembly locat ion
and procedures t o account for all employees aft er an evacuat ion.
AID
FIRST
AID
FIRST
3
In addition, although they are not specifically required by O SH A ,
you may find it helpful to include in your plan the following:
M ake sure alarms are dist inct ive and recognized by all employees
as a signal t o evacuat e t he work area or perform act ions ident ified
in your plan;
Using t act ile devices t o alert employees who would not ot herwise
be able t o recognize an audible or visual alarm; and
Procedures for assist ing people wit h disabilit ies or who do not
speak English;
Designat ion of what , if any, employees will cont inue or shut down
critical operat ions during an evacuat ion. These people must be
How do you
develop an
evacuation policy
and procedures?
How do you
alert employees
to an
emergency?
4
capable of recognizing when t o abandon t he operat ion and
evacuat e t hemselves; and
A ssessing t he sit uat ion t o det ermine whet her an emergency exist s
requiring act ivat ion of your emergency procedures;
Coordinat ing out side emergency services, such as medical aid and
local fire depart ment s, and ensuring t hat t hey are available and
not ified when necessary; and
Take a head count aft er t he evacuat ion. Ident if y t he names and last
known locat ions of anyone not account ed for and pass t hem t o the
official in charge;
Est ablish a met hod for account ing for non-employees such as
suppliers and cust omers; and
How do you
account for
employees
after an
evacuation?
How do you
establish
evacuation
routes and
exits?
6
Est ablish procedures for furt her evacuat ion in case t he incident
expands. This may consist of sending employees home by normal
means or providing t hem wit h t ransport at ion t o an offsit e locat ion.
I
t t akes more t han just willing hands t o save lives. Unt rained
individuals may endanger t hemselves and t hose t hey are t rying t o
rescue. For t his reason, it is generally wise t o leave rescue work t o
t hose who are t rained, equipped, and cert ified t o conduct rescues.
If you have operat ions t hat t ake place in permit -required confined
spaces, you may want your emergency act ion plan t o include rescue
procedures t hat specifically address ent ry int o each confined space.
( See also O SH A Publicat ion 3 1 3 8 , Permit -Required Confined
Spaces, and t he N at ional Inst it ut e for O ccupat ional Safet y and
H ealth ( N IO SH ) Publication 8 0 -1 0 6 , Criteria for a Recommended
St andard. . . Working in Confined Spaces. )
I
f your company does not have a formal medical program, you may
want t o invest igat e ways t o provide medical and first -aid services.
If medical facilit ies are available near your worksit e, you can make
arrangement s for t hem t o handle emergency cases. Provide your
employees wit h a writ t en emergency medical procedure t o minimize
confusion during an emergency.
If an infirmary, clinic, or hospit al is not close t o your workplace,
ensure t hat onsit e person( s) have adequat e t raining in first aid. The
A merican Red Cross, some insurance providers, local safet y
councils, fire depart ment s, or ot her resources may be able t o
provide t his t raining. Treat ment of a serious injury should begin
wit hin 3 t o 4 minut es of t he accident .
Consult wit h a physician t o order appropriat e first -aid supplies for
emergencies. M edical personnel must be accessible t o provide
advice and consult at ion in resolving healt h problems t hat occur in t he
workplace. Est ablish a relat ionship wit h a local ambulance service so
t ransport at ion is readily available for emergencies.
T
he best emergency act ion plans include employees in t he
planning process, specify what employees should do during an
emergency, and ensure t hat employees receive proper t raining for
emergencies. W hen you include your employees in your planning,
encourage t hem t o offer suggest ions about pot ent ial hazards, worst -
case scenarios, and proper emergency responses. A ft er you develop
t he plan, review it wit h your employees t o make sure everyone
knows what t o do before, during and aft er an emergency.
Keep a copy of your emergency act ion plan in a convenient locat ion
where employees can get t o it , or provide all employees a copy. If
you have 10 or fewer employees, you may communicat e your plan
orally.
How should you
plan for rescue
operations?
What medical
assistance
should you
provide during
an emergency?
What role
should
employees play
in your
emergency
action plan?
7
I
n t he event of an emergency, it could be import ant t o have ready
access t o import ant personal informat ion about your employees.
This includes t heir home t elephone numbers, t he names and
t elephone numbers of t heir next of kin, and medical informat ion.
What employee
information
should your plan
include?
What type of
training do your
employees
need?
E
ducat e your employees about t he t ypes of emergencies t hat may
occur and t rain t hem in t he proper course of act ion. The size of
your workplace and workforce, processes used, mat erials handled,
and t he availabilit y of onsit e or out side resources will det ermine your
t raining requirement s. Be sure all your employees underst and t he
funct ion and element s of your emergency act ion plan, including
t ypes of pot ent ial emergencies, report ing procedures, alarm syst ems,
evacuat ion plans, and shut down procedures. Discuss any special
hazards you may have onsit e such as flammable mat erials, t oxic
chemicals, radioact ive sources, or wat er-react ive subst ances. Clearly
communicat e t o your employees who will be in charge during an
emergency t o minimize confusion.
G eneral training for your employees should address the following:
Special body prot ect ion for abnormal environment al condit ions
such as ext reme t emperat ures; and
Publications,
A ll A bout O SH A O SH A 2 0 5 6
Furt her improvement and revit alizat ion of already good safet y and
healt h programs; and
Partnership with O SH A .
For more informat ion, cont act t he V PP manager in your O SH A
regional office, visit O SH A s websit e, or see A ppendix 1 for a list
of t elephone numbers.
What are the
Voluntary
Protection
Programs?
What free onsite
consultation
services does
OSHA provide?
15
O SH A has init iat ed part nerships wit h employers, employees, and
employee represent at ives in a wide range of indust ries t o encourage,
assist , and recognize effort s t o eliminat e workplace hazards.
Part icipant s work t oget her t o ident ify a common goal, develop plans
t o achieve it , and implement t hose plans in a cooperat ive way.
Part nerships can t ransform relat ionships bet ween O SH A and an
employer or ent ire indust ry. Former adversaries recognize t hat
working t oget her t o solve workplace safet y and healt h problems is t o
everyone s advant age.
For more informat ion, cont act your O SH A regional office. See
A ppendix 1 for a list of t elephone numbers.
A
good, effect ively managed worker safet y and healt h program
can be a big fact or in reducing work-relat ed injuries and
illnesses and t heir relat ed cost s. O SH A offers volunt ary guidelines
t o help employers and employees in workplaces it covers develop
effect ive safet y and healt h programs. Safet y and H ealt h Program
M anagement G uidelines ( Federal Register 5 4 ( 1 8 ) : 3 9 0 8 -3 9 1 6 ,
January 2 6 , 1 9 8 9 ) ident ifies four general element s crit ical t o a
successful safet y and healt h management program. These are:
Use of hazard prevent ion and cont rol init iat ives; and
N at ional Fire Prot ect ion A ssociat ion, 4 7 0 Bat t erymarch Park,
Q uincy, M A 0 2 2 6 9 . A clearinghouse for informat ion on fire
prot ect ion and prevent ion as well as N FPA st andards.