Emergency Action Plan

Introduction

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) requires specific types of employers to have an Emergency Action Plan under many various standards but for all practical purposes, all employers must develop a plan to ensure the safety of their employees should an emergency occur. Emergency Action Plans describe the actions employees should take to ensure their safety if a fire or other emergency situation develops.

Contents

An emergency action plan must include at a minimum:

1. Procedures for reporting a fire or other emergency;
2. Procedures for emergency evacuation, including the type of evacuation and exit route assignments;
3. Procedures to be followed by employees who remain to operate critical plant operations before they evacuate;
4. Procedures to account for all employees after evacuation;
5. Procedures to be followed by employees performing rescue or medical duties; and
6. The name or job title of every employee who may be contacted by employees who need more information about the plan or an explanation of their duties under the plan.

The plan should also address how visitors will be assisted in evacuation and accounted for. Some employers have all visitors and contractors sign in when entering the workplace and use this list when accounting for all persons in the assembly area.

Format

An emergency action plan must be in writing, kept in the workplace, and available to employees for review. However, an employer with 10 or fewer employees may communicate the plan orally to employees.

Alarm System

An employer must have and maintain an employee alarm system. The employee alarm system must use a distinctive signal for each purpose and comply with the requirements in 1910.165.

Training

An employer must designate and train employees to assist in a safe and orderly evacuation of other employees.

Review

An employer must review the emergency action plan with each employee covered by the plan:

1. When the plan is developed or the employee is assigned initially to a job;
2. When the employee’s responsibilities under the plan change; and
3. When the plan is changed.