ARTICLES

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Are you Prepared?
In view of the current high risk security climate, we all need to be aware of, and have up to date emergency management procedures in place. Many businesses have become lax or have no procedures at all – with the “it won’t happen to us” mentality.

Some of the things we can do to prevent emergencies are really just common sense, however, if you don’t already have emergency management procedures in place, now is the time to start designing and implementing procedures.

According to the NSW Fire Brigade and Police, the following procedures should be put into place:

White Level Inspections
This is an inspection for unusual articles that are suspicious, or cannot be accounted for, and is something that all staff should be involved in, on an ongoing basis. Once inspection areas have been identified, a list should be made of all assets within that area. This list should be readily available in order to confirm if anything is missing, or to help to identify if anything has been introduced to the area. As part of their daily activity, cleaning staff need to inspect the areas in which they operate.

The HOT principle applies – and is something that all staff should be aware of. If there are any items that are:
Hidden?
Obviously suspicious?
Not Typical of items usually found in the area?
If any HOT items are found, this may be a cause for concern and should be highlighted to the emergency management team.

Reducing the Risk
You can reduce the risk of an emergency occurring in your own business through a little bit of housekeeping! This includes:

• A clean desk policy, where all desks are left empty at the end of each day’s work. This not only ensures that sensitive material is locked away, but also assists other members of the workforce in identifying any items that are foreign to the area.
  
• Locking of cupboards and drawers when not in use. This reduces the opportunity for any items to be hidden. It also ensures assets and materials are adequately protected when not in use. Keys to cupboards and drawers must be readily available so they may be opened and inspected at any time.
  
• Communal areas kept tidy. All communal areas with the workplace must be kept tidy. Suspicious items are less likely to gain attention in communal areas due to the volume of people using the area.
  
• Bins emptied on a regular basis. All bins should be emptied on a regular basis. Priority for this should be given to bins in public areas.

In addition to white level inspections, each business should have a standard for evacuation in the event that an emergency occurs. Appropriate evacuation areas must be identified and included in the White Level inspection plans.

General Evacuation Procedure Guidelines
Poorly organised evacuation can cause unnecessary panic, sometimes with serious consequences. The following principles should be adopted as a general guide and modified to suit the particular building and occupancy.

Evacuation has different meanings depending on the vulnerability of the premises concerned. In highly combustible buildings, evacuation may mean a complete evacuation of the whole premises on discovering a fire. In cases where fire resistant construction has been employed correctly, it is quite often a case that the section involved in fire is evacuated and all other personnel remain within their own section, without being evacuated at all.

In today’s high risk environment, multinational and government organisations may need to consider other threats such as terrorism i.e.: chemical, biological and radiological attacks or hoaxes.

Evacuation Action

1. Divide building into manageable sections. For single storey buildings, divide it into areas, for multi level buildings, divide it into floors.
   
2. Designate normal and alternate exits for each area.
   
3. Nominate a Chief Fire Warden and Area and Floor Wardens as appropriate.
   
4. Designate safe assembly areas, internal and external, primary and alternative.
   
5. A valid warning system should be fitted throughout the premises to give both an audible and visual alarm.
   
6. Provide emergency lighting and have rechargeable torches available.
   
7. Provide staff education on evacuation procedures and display the evacuation plan and floor plan within each section. All staff should be familiar with the organisations procedures and must be fully conversant with the workplace’s functional procedure.
   
8. Introduce an effective mail sorting and suspect mail detection system and staff training.
   
9. Carry out evacuation drills at a different time each year. Develop a response mechanism (suspicious parcel etc) to trigger the initial emergency response into the scenario that has been developed.
   
10. Ensure you have a roll-call to account for all personnel. Report any missing persons.
    
11. Evacuation of staff is to be carried out in an orderly manner, controlled by evacuation staff.
    
12. Be aware of disabled staff and any special requirements that may be needed.
    
13. Provide security measures for staff. These measures must not impede evacuation of personnel.

Emergency Actions
Where an emergency is identified, contact the local authorities using the following checklist:

Immediately notify the Emergency Services required by dialing 000 or 0-000 in the case of PABX systems. When answered nominate the Emergency Service required:

• Fire Brigade
  
• Police
  
• Ambulance

Information Required:
Name of Company
Street Name Suburb
Nearest Cross Street or prominent landmark
Nature of Incident eg Fire, Explosion, Accident etc
Stating whether of not persons are injured or trapped

Evacuate immediate area to safe position-account for all personnel
Evacuation in relation to smoke, chemical spillage and gas escape will be governed by existing conditions at the time of incident. Wind direction and topography (ground slope) are important factors when considering safe areas or refuges.

Evacuation should take place through the nearest and safest available exit.

All doors should be closed if possible by the last person/s exiting to contain the fire and smoke to its place of origin.

Once clear of the building, personnel should proceed directly to the pre-designated assembly area. No person should be permitted to return inside until authorised by the emergency authority.

Attempt to control/extinguish fire
If possible, attempt to control/extinguish the fire with installed fire fighting equipment. (remember evacuation is top priority) It is emphasized the fire fighting measures by staff with installed equipment (portable extinguishers, hose reels, hose/hydrant systems) is purely a “first aid measure” pending arrival of the NSW Fire Brigades. Should any doubt exist as to the safety of personnel, they should withdraw immediately.

Direct emergency services accurately
Have detailed, a responsible person to meet emergency services and direct them to the incident area, and also give information regarding evacuation, injured persons, missing persons together with last known whereabouts, if still believed to be within the danger area.

This information is adapted from a presentation put together by the NSW Fire Brigade and Police, and supplied by Warringah Chamber of Commerce, NSW, Australia. For more information please contact your local Police or Fire Brigade.

© COPYRIGHT
All articles are copyright. These articles may be used for publication in magazines and newsletters with prior permission from the author and Samperi Consulting Group Pty Ltd. Please contact Samperi Consulting Group Pty Ltd for further information at karina@samperi.com.au.

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