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| HSE DOCUMENTS EVACUATION AND EMERGENCY ACTION ORGANIZATION |
Learn the essentials of creating an effective Evacuation and Emergency Action Organization. This HSE document covers key planning, communication, and coordination strategies to ensure safety and compliance during emergencies. Equip your team with the knowledge to protect lives and assets in critical situations.
1.0. PURPOSE
HSE DOCUMENTS Management is concerned about the safety of each person in the facility/office. Fires, civil disturbances, severe weather conditions, and other emergencies must initiate a planned response rather than confusion. Confusion could cause unnecessary personal injury, loss of assets, and a slow recovery. After a disaster occurs, there is no time for planning and training.
HSE DOCUMENTS Management recognizes the need for emergency planning. A permanent liaison has been established to communicate with local fire and police departments and civil officials. These public agencies are familiar with facility/office plans for responding to various emergencies.
The occupants of HSE DOCUMENTS facilities/offices must also recognize their role in responding to emergencies. A well-designed Emergency Action Organization is necessary to maintain a safe environment.
Emergency Action Organization is designed to provide a systematic and orderly response to any facility/office emergency.
2.0. GENERAL
The Emergency Action Organization responsibility descriptions primarily relate to fire responses. However, during an emergency, Facility/Office Management may use the Emergency Action Team as the primary contact on each floor of every building. Detailed records must be maintained that list all Emergency Action Organization members.
Emergency Action Teams will be appointed for each floor in the facility/office to assist HSE DOCS Management during emergencies in assigned areas.
The Emergency Action Teams and HSE DOCS Facility/Office Management will assist the Director of Emergency Evacuations in keeping the disaster plan current. Each team member will be assigned a specific area of responsibility for the plan and must be trained accordingly. Team members will meet at least once every quarter to review their responsibilities and update the existing plan as necessary.
Minutes will be recorded at all meetings held. Recommendations or comments from these meetings will be submitted to the Director of Emergency Evacuations for review and subsequent action.
3.0. RESPONSIBILITIES
3.1. Emergency Action Teams
Emergency Action Teams are a vital link between Facility/Office Management and their assigned area during an emergency. They may be asked to respond to a variety of situations that affect the safety of occupants and take whatever action necessary to prevent further injury or danger. These duties can include first aid; fire reporting; reporting damage; assisting, directing, and maintaining control of occupants during evacuation; and keeping Facility/Office Management informed during any emergency.
An alternate team member will be selected in the event the primary member is away from his/her assigned area. The alternate team member will assume the primary member’s role in the latter’s absence, or assist if the primary is present.
During an evacuation, the Emergency Action Teams will respond to their assigned areas and assist occupants to the stairwell as they evacuate the building in a timely and orderly fashion.
Floor Wardens will inform the Director of Emergency Evacuations, in advance, of the location of any physically impaired occupants. Special arrangements will be made to evacuate such individuals. Emergency Action Teams are responsible for evacuating physically impaired individuals according to the plan.
When it appears that all persons have been evacuated from a floor, Team Members will conduct an inspection search. This search will confirm that all persons have been evacuated and will consist of visual inspections of offices, restrooms, service centers, and other enclosed areas. Do not rely on voice response, as an individual may not hear you or may be lying unconscious somewhere in your assigned area. When the Floor Wardens determine their area has been evacuated, the Emergency Action Team will evacuate to a predesignated location.
3.2. Director of Emergency Evacuations
The Director of Emergency Evacuations will assume responsibility for the following:
3.2.1. Be familiar with the written emergency action plan and its provision for building evacuation procedures.
3.2.2. Assign a Floor Warden for each floor.
3.2.3. Issue copies of this plan to Floor Wardens.
3.2.4. Verify all Emergency Action Teams understand their responsibilities in various emergencies.
3.2.5. Train Emergency Action Teams in emergency rescue, fire size-up, and communication.
3.2.6. Establish and implement a system of notification when team members are leaving and returning on business, sick leave, vacation, transfer, or termination. This will continually update the Director of Emergency Evacuations on the current status of Emergency Action Team members.
3.2.7. Maintain appropriate fire prevention practices within the facility/office.
3.2.8. Report to the fire department all reportable facility/office fires or fire alarms.
3.2.9. Report to a predetermined location during any facility/office emergency so that the following is accomplished:
Determine the nature, location, and severity of any fire, civil disturbance, weather conditions, or any other emergency.
Communicate with Facility/Office Management and Floor Wardens to provide any information regarding the need to evacuate, and the appropriate routes to be used.
Report to the local fire department chief any pertinent information regarding the facility/office and the fire floor.
Make the decision to evacuate, other than the immediate area, in the absence of the fire department. Occupants and Emergency action teams will be notified via the facility/office notification system.
3.3. Floor Warden
The Floor Warden will assume responsibility for the following:
3.3.1. Be familiar with the Emergency Action Plan.
3.3.2. Report any fire and other emergency to the local emergency line.
3.3.3. Know the specific assigned area of responsibility.
3.3.4. Know the location of all exits on the assigned floor.
3.3.5. Know how to operate the available fire alarm system and floor fire-fighting equipment.
3.3.6. Direct the orderly evacuation of the floor when instructed by the Director of Emergency Evacuations by the following requirements:
All evacuations must be conducted calmly and deliberately.
Generally, only the stairways will be used during evacuations.
The Emergency Action Team will leave the floor only after confirming all other persons have been evacuated from the floor.
The Floor Warden will report to the Director of Emergency Evacuations upon completion of the evacuation.
3.3.7. Verify that the following are performed regularly on the assigned floor:
Keep all aisles, corridors, and doorways free from obstructions.
Check all extinguishers to verify that they are ready for use and report any defect to the Director of Emergency Evacuations.
As allowed by law, maintain a list of all temporarily or permanently, physically impaired persons on the floor. Make arrangements to assist them during an evacuation.
3.3.8. Assign members to, and maintain, a Floor Emergency Action Team delegating assignments or responsibilities to each team member.
3.3.9. Train and motivate members of the Emergency Action Team in evacuating procedures.
3.3.10. Delegate responsibilities to the Assistant Floor Warden while away from the assigned area.
3.3.11. Assemble the Floor Emergency Action Team quickly at a predetermined location when there is a signal for a drill or actual emergency.
3.3.12. Maintain enough alternates on the Emergency Action Team to fully staff critical positions in the event of absent team members during a drill or actual emergency.
3.3.13. Attend scheduled meetings with the Emergency Action Team:
Meetings will include evacuation procedures or any change in procedures.
Practice drills are for the Emergency Action Team only.
3.3.14. Schedule and conduct monthly meetings with the Floor Emergency Action Team to maintain emergency action readiness.
3.3.15. Complete a monthly checklist report for the Director of Emergency Evacuations.
3.3.16. Replace team members as necessary to keep the team complete.
3.4. Assistant Floor Warden
The Assistant Floor Warden will assume responsibility for the following:
3.4.1. Assume all Floor Warden Responsibilities in the absence of the Floor Warden.
3.4.2. Performing emergency action duties that may be delegated by the Floor Warden when the Floor Warden is present.
3.4.3. Assist in arranging special care for the evacuation of physically impaired persons on the floor
3.4.4. Assist the Floor Warden and the Searchers in the floor “sweep” before the team evacuation.
3.4.5. Direct the evacuees to the designated evacuation location until given notice by the Floor Warden to reenter the facility.
3.5. Exit Monitors
One Exit Monitor is required at each stairway exit on every floor. The monitor should be stationed inside the stairway to hold the door open and guide evacuees to the lobby level. The Exit Monitor will also be stationed to direct traffic and assist persons as necessary.
The Exit Monitor will assume responsibility for the following:
3.5.1. Maintain clean and safe stairway exits on the designated floor.
3.5.2. Control the stairway door on the designated floor.
3.5.3. Direct pedestrian traffic to the appropriate exit.
3.5.4. Keep pedestrian traffic moving calmly but steadily during evacuations.
3.5.5. Direct personnel to remain to the right of the stairwell as they evacuate. Firefighters may be using the stairs.
3.5.6. Direct personnel to merge in an orderly fashion with evacuees from floors above as they enter the stairwell.
3.5.7. Direct personnel to the specific place in the designated evacuation area for the floor.
3.5.8. Restrict access to the fire-safe stairway exits only. Exiting via elevators or escalators is prohibited.
3.6. Searchers (Male and Female)
Searchers will assume responsibility for the following:
3.6.1. Conduct thorough searches for designated restrooms to alert persons who may not have heard the evacuation notice.
3.6.2. Conduct a thorough and complete floor search for personnel.
3.6.3. Respond to any additional instructions that may be given by the Floor Warden.
3.6.4. Close all doors on the assigned floor after completion of a search of that office or area.
3.6.5. Assist the Floor Warden and the Assistant Floor Warden in a final floor sweep before exiting the floor as a team.
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