Brief Guide: Handling Disasters at the Workplace

It is common for accidents and disastrous situations to occur in the workplace. Employers are usually tasked with the responsibility of handling three key audiences. First, they have to handle the government officials who are in charge of investigations. Secondly, thy will be forced to talk to various media houses that will be covering the incident. Lastly, employers have to deal with the families and friends who are grieving the loss of their loved ones. It is, therefore, crucial for both employers and employees to start looking for CPR course online, which provides the necessary knowledge on what to do in case of an emergency.

The following are some of the ways in which, as an employer, you can lessen the impact of a catastrophic event at the workplace.

Have A Practical Emergency Response Plan

It is vital for employers to always be one step ahead, apart from enrolling for online first aid and CPR classes, creating an emergency plan is recommended. The main purpose of such a key document is to help minimize the impact of the disaster on the employees. The plan requires that all the members of the organization to be trained accordingly on how to handle themselves in the event of a catastrophe.

A response plan entails the best practices and policies required in workplace emergencies. It includes the best way of reporting the emergency to the authorities, the evacuation procedure, designation of the assembly area, and methods of alerting the employees of any danger.

An essential part of responding to workplace emergencies is addressing medical problems. The first step involves choosing the first responders from an existing unit of emergency medical personnel either from within the organization or from outside institutions. The main priority of first responders is to handle any injuries and answering to the medical needs of the employees. Other responsibilities of first responders are to contact law enforcement agencies as well as firefighters. You can learn more about this when you start looking for CPR course online.

The organization is also responsible for responding to any queries brought forth by the families of the victims in the event of an emergency. This can be done by providing regular updates to the relatives of the victims. There should be counseling services for those family members who seem troubled by the events of the catastrophe. Proper communication with the media is also very crucial during a workplace emergency. The correct information should be provided at all times to prevent speculations.

Investigations and Generating A Report

It is always advised for the affected organization to commence its accident investigations during the early stages while the events are still fresh on the minds of the witnesses. You can begin by appointing an investigation team that has the authority to conduct a full investigation of the incident. 

The investigation team should practice integrity by sticking to the facts of the case without including any rumors or speculations. The team will first identify credible witnesses and then put together all the evidence relating to the case. As the employer, you should ensure that there is no interference with the case. The team should also compile a comprehensive report with all the details of the incident from the initial stages of the emergency to the final stage.