April 4, 2003—With the increased threat of terrorist attacks all companies and organizations should be reviewing their emergency plans with employees, American Society of Safety Engineers’ (ASSE) officials said.
From the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to Homeland Security to the Red Cross there are excellent resources available that provide guidance on developing and implementing emergency plans, including ASSE safety resources. When reviewing these plans, companies must realize that all contingency plans must be flexible since each emergency has its own unique set of circumstances and risk.
For example, for those employers housed in a high-rise building, OSHA suggests that appropriate exits, alarms, emergency lighting, communication systems, and sprinkler systems are critical for employee safety. When designing and maintaining exits, it is essential to ensure that routes leading to the exits, as well as the areas beyond the exits, are accessible and free from materials or items that would impede individuals from easily and effectively evacuating.
State and local building code officials can help employers ensure that the building’s design and safety systems are adequate. Preparing in advance to safely evacuate the building is critical to the safety of employees who work there. Before an emergency occurs, OSHA suggests that employees in high-rise buildings should: 1) be familiar with the worksite’s emergency evacuation plan; 2) know the pathway to at least two alternative exits from every room /area at the workplace; 3) recognize the sound /signaling method of the fire /evacuation alarms; 4) know who to contact in an emergency and how to contact them; 5) know how many desks or cubicles are between the workstation and two of the nearest exits so escape in the dark is possible if necessary; 6) know where the fire /evacuation alarms are located and how to use them; and, 7) report damaged or malfunctioning safety systems and back-up systems.
Because every high-rise building has unique characteristics involving location, design, construction, and occupancy, this information covers only some of the basic considerations for safe evacuation. These recommendations do not substitute for a site-specific evacuation program nor does it detail specific OSHA or OSHA-approved state plan standards that may be applicable to individual worksites.
For direct links to federal web sites with information on homeland security, travel safety, emergency preparation and response, chemical agent information and to order ASSE books on emergency planning, security operations and disaster recovery planning contact ASSE.
