Questions and Answers
An emergency action plan, or EAP, exists to prepare employees for emergencies ranging from ones originating outside of the building such as natural disaster threats, emergencies within the building such as power outages or fires, and health-related emergencies such as heart attacks or concussions. Due to the nature of these dire situations, OSHA has implemented … Read more
Emergency exit signs, often glowing green or red, are necessary for most every building. Exit sign requirements often go hand in hand with OSHA’s regulations regarding emergency evacuation routes and their three parts; Exit access, exit, and exit discharge. OSHA’s exit sign regulations can be found in 29 CFR 1910.37 “Exit Routes and Emergency Planning.” … Read more
At the bare minimum, there are six main components that must be in an evacuation plan according to OSHA. With these, the employer will be able to better prepare employees for emergency situations that may arise in the workplace, they are: A way of reporting emergencies Evacuation procedures and emergency escape route assignments Procedures for … Read more
The need for an emergency evacuation can occur at any time. There are numerous types of events that can instigate an evacuation, some include weather related events such as hurricanes, floods, and fires, or human caused emergency situations involving civil disturbances, chemical spills, and explosions. Unplanned events like these do not allow time for employees … Read more
An emergency evacuation plan aims to prepare employees with information that enables them to evacuate a building as quickly and safely as possible. These plans must cover all relevant scenarios of possible emergencies for employees to be sufficiently prepared. Emergency situations can include anything from natural disasters, industrial accidents, transportation accidents, military attacks, structural failure, … Read more
Fire code requirements vary wildly from building to building depending on the location, size, and type of work being performed. Those requirements can be found within the NFPA’s Life Safety 101 code. However, naming all the requirements is quite extensive, so this post will only go over the rules that are applicable to most all … Read more
There are several factors that must be considered before determining how to proceed during a possible emergency situation. Those elements include: The nature of the emergency The degree of the emergency The size of the organization The capability of the organization in an emergency situation The ability to request outside aid The physical layout of … Read more
Emergency exits, or egress routes as many may know them by, have set clearance requirements to ensure building occupants have enough space to safely exit the building. The following dimensions help with creating a consistent environment for employees and have been proven to assist in meeting the most optimal emergency evacuation needs. What is egress? … Read more
Emergency response procedures vary wildly across businesses depending on what they do, where they are located, and the materials within the building. For that reason, developing a unique emergency response procedure is absolutely necessary to protect both workers and property at that site. Training is at the front and center of any emergency plan as … Read more
Employers must follow safety sign requirements that come from OSHA and any local building code requirements that the state or county may have. Currently, the only evacuation signs that OSHA actively requires are that of exit signs. 29 CFR 1910.37 describes lighting and marking requirements for emergency exit signs to maximize visibility and the ability … Read more