The primary goals of emergency management are to protect lives, prevent hazardous environmental impact, and limit facility damage. Office building owners and managers should demonstrate a commitment to emergency management by creating a systematic application of incident response policies, procedures, and practices to be carried out by all management levels.
To establish effective emergency management plans, building owners should conduct analyses to identify necessary site-specific safety measures, including those required in OSHA’s Emergency Action Plan. Analyses should identify the following details:
1. Site Analysis
- Identify existing and potential site hazards through employee feedback, audits, and detailed inspections.
2. Task Analysis
- Determine job specific methods and procedures for each employee’s duty to reduce or eliminate associated hazards.
- Review and update methods and procedure when an incident occurs, job responsibilities change, or if hazards are identified through analysis.
3. Risk Analysis
- Establish risk evaluation criteria, probability of incident, and potential consequences.
- Monitor and review procedures for continuous improvement, effectiveness, control measures and changed conditions.
After initial analyses, site specific plans should be developed and communicated to building occupants. Depending on the characteristics of the building and inherent functions of the occupants, office building emergency response plans may consist of the required Emergency Action Plan, site specific Fire Pre Plans, and/or Hazardous Waste Operations. An office building emergency response plan should include the following minimum information:
- Building description
- Owner/Manager contact information
- Emergency Assembly Point details
- Internal and/or external emergency personnel information and contact details
- Specific hazard details and possible MSDS information
- Utility shut-off locations and descriptions
- Alarm(s) description
- Emergency equipment inventory and locations
- Plot plan(s) and floor plan(s)
- Risk, site, and task identified situational checklists and job specific procedures
Office building management should include a Health, Safety and Environmental Training Program to communicate regulatory requirements and site implementation methods of OSHA and other applicable government agency mandated safety training. Safety audits, inspections, task analyses, and incident investigations can identify a need for specific trainings needed to correct or limit unsafe procedures or processes. Job and site specific training should be implemented for current employees, new hires, supervisors that may need to carry out direct reports’ responsibilities.