Planning a Response to a Fire Alarm

8/23/2018 (Permalink)

These are just a few things that should be addressed in your plan.

When it comes to a fire or other emergency in Kansas City, MO, a well-organized evacuation doesn’t just happen. It follows a contingency plan that has been prepared and tested in advance. All companies need to have such a plan in place. Here are a few of the components of such plans.

1. The building needs to have exit routes posted in prominent places. It is important for employees to understand what routes and exits they will use to safely exit the building. Thanks to OSHA, those placards should already be in place.

2. There needs to be a person in charge of the evacuation. The contingency plan is just a plan. When you execute a fire drill, everyone exits the building through their assigned exit. In a real emergency, it may turn out that one or more of the exits are not usable. The person in charge needs to be notified and will redirect the flow of employees exiting the building.

3. Some employees will have special jobs in the event of a fire. Many companies have chemical, manufacturing, or other processes that are not meant to run unattended. If it is safe to do so, certain key employees will be assigned the job of shutting down those processes before they personally evacuate.

4. Complete evacuation is everyone’s responsibility. If you don’t have a special job, follow the evacuation plan and exit. But what about visitors, special needs employees and employees who are somewhere that the alarm may not be heard? Safe evacuation of the building is everyone’s responsibility.

These are just a few things that should be addressed in your plan. OSHA has an excellent planning tool available to help you set up your own.
With the fire extinguished, it’s time to get your company back on track. The best way to do that quickly is to bring in the best fire restoration team you can find. You will be glad you did. While the cleanup is underway, review your contingency plan to see if anything could have been done better. For more information, visit http://www.SERVPROclaycounty.com/.