Severe winter weather, power outages, or other workplace emergencies can occur anywhere and at any time. How well prepared are you? A top official with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) says certain elements of preparedness tend to be forgotten. Which ones? Find out here.
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Robert Glenn, director of FEMA’s public sector division, urges safety professionals and other planners to remember to engage the C-suite and get their buy-in. “The support of executive leadership is often a key driver in the sustained success of an emergency planning and management program,” he adds.
Another common pitfall is failing to communicate your plans and programs with all employees. Know how you will relay critical information to personnel during an emergency. Glenn emphasizes the importance of practicing a plan to ensure that managers and employees know exactly what to do during an emergency. Also, encourage your employees to develop their own family emergency communication plans.
Don’t forget about coordination between the safety department and those who do emergency planning. “Safety and planning go hand in hand,” says Glenn. “Because everyone has the goal of reducing risk so employees can work—and do so safely—a team effort is necessary to ensure that risk is addressed in a holistic manner.” Learn more about emergency planning at http://www.ready.gov/business.