24 Jul Emergency Preparedness, Mental Preparedness
Emergency Preparedness – Are You Mentally Prepared?
Emergency preparedness involves more than knowing where the exits and emergency equipment are located. Employees must also be mentally prepared to recognize an emergency, remain focused, and take the appropriate action without unnecessary delay.
Consider how you would respond if a coworker were seriously injured, a fire started, a chemical was released, or a structure collapsed. Emergencies develop quickly, and there may be little time to decide what to do. Knowing your responsibilities beforehand can help you respond safely and effectively.
Know Before an Emergency Happens
Every employee should be familiar with the company’s Emergency Action Plan and be able to answer these questions:
- How do I report an emergency and summon help?
- What emergency alarms or notifications are used?
- Who is in charge during an emergency?
- What are my evacuation and shelter-in-place procedures?
- Where is my designated assembly or rally point?
- Who on the crew is trained in first aid and CPR?
- Where are first-aid kits, AEDs, fire extinguishers, eyewash stations, and other emergency equipment located?
- Should the area be evacuated, isolated, or secured?
- What should I do until emergency responders arrive?
Knowing these answers in advance reduces confusion when seconds count.
Respond Within Your Training
First-aid and CPR training can provide valuable skills for responding to medical emergencies. However, employees should perform only those emergency, rescue, or medical duties for which they have been trained and authorized.
If an emergency occurs:
- Recognize the hazard. Determine what has happened and whether additional hazards are present.
- Protect yourself first. Do not enter an unsafe area or become another victim.
- Call for help. Activate the emergency response system and provide clear information about the location and nature of the emergency.
- Follow the Emergency Action Plan. Evacuate, shelter in place, secure the area, or take other assigned actions as appropriate.
- Assist only within your training. Provide first aid or other assistance only when you can do so safely and are trained to perform the task.
- Follow instructions. Cooperate with supervisors, emergency coordinators, and responding emergency personnel.
Stay With an Injured Employee or Get Help?
The answer depends on the circumstances. The first priority is to make sure emergency assistance is summoned without unnecessarily exposing anyone else to danger.
If another person can call for help, a trained employee may remain with the injured person when it is safe to do so. If you are alone, summon emergency assistance as quickly as possible and follow the instructions of the emergency dispatcher.
Never move a seriously injured person unless leaving them in place creates a greater immediate danger or movement is necessary to provide lifesaving care within your training.
Do Not Become a Second Victim
Before rushing to help, look for hazards such as:
- Energized electrical equipment.
- Fire or smoke.
- Hazardous chemicals or gases.
- Unstable structures or falling materials.
- Moving machinery or equipment.
- Traffic.
- Confined-space hazards.
An instinctive attempt to rescue someone can result in additional injuries when the rescuer enters a hazardous area without the necessary training or equipment.
Practice Mental Preparedness
Emergency drills and training provide an opportunity to mentally rehearse your response. During routine work, periodically consider:
“If an emergency happened here right now, what would I do?”
Know your escape route, emergency contacts, assembly location, nearby emergency equipment, and chain of command. Pay particular attention when moving to a different jobsite or work area because emergency procedures and hazards may change.
Remember
When an emergency occurs, there may be little time to develop a plan. Know the plan beforehand, recognize the hazards, protect yourself, summon help, and act within your training. Mental preparation can make the difference between a controlled response and a second emergency.