INTRODUCTION

Several Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards explicitly require employers to have Emergency Action Plans (EAPs). Emergency preparedness is a well-known concept in protecting workers' safety and health.

This short course provides an overview of OSHA standards for emergencies contained within OSHA 1910.38, Emergency Action Plans.

The Emergency Action Plan (EAP)

Be ready to respond to and recover from disasters.
How would you escape from your workplace in an emergency? Do you know where all the exits are in case your first choice is too crowded? Are you sure the doors will be unlocked and the exit route, such as a hallway, will not be blocked during a fire, explosion, or other crisis? The purpose of an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is to facilitate and organize coordinated actions if the employer intends to require all employees and others to evacuate in response to a workplace emergency. 

An emergency action plan (EAP) is a written document required by OSHA standard 1910.38 that should address emergencies OSHA reasonably expects in the workplace. Examples are: fire; toxic chemical releases; hurricanes; tornadoes; blizzards; floods; and others.

Well-developed emergency plans and proper employee training (such that employees understand their roles and responsibilities within the plan) result in fewer and less severe employee injuries and less structural damage to the facility during emergencies.

Emergency action plans must be written. However, the plan does not need to be written and may be communicated orally if there are 10 or fewer employees.

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At Media City Animal Hospital, our EAP is located in the laundry cabinet in a binder labeled "OSHA Regulation" .

We do not have fewer than 10 employees, and therefore our plan is written.

Elements of the EAP

At a minimum, the plan must include but is not limited to the following elements:

• Means of reporting fires and other emergencies,
• Evacuation procedures and emergency escape route assignments,
• Procedures for employees who remain to operate critical plant operations before they evacuate,
• Accounting for all employees after an emergency evacuation has been completed,
  Rescue and medical duties for employees performing them, and
• Names or job titles of persons who can be contacted

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At Media City Animal Hospital, our EAP is located in the laundry cabinet in a binder labeled "OSHA Regulation" .

Anyone can announce an emergency verbally, via intercom, and by pulling the manual alarm on the wall at the entrance to the hospital. 

We will all evacuate at this notice (we will not rescue pets) and meet at the tree at the North East edge of the parking lot.

Katie Taylor, Hospital Director, if present, will account for employees, notify the fire department, and account for patients in an emergency. In her absence, the next most senior leadership team member will step in.

Reporting Emergencies

Employees must know how to report emergencies. Some use internal telephone numbers, intercom, or public address systems to notify other employees. It is important for employees to also notify the proper authorities such as fire, medical, or rescue services, if your company relies on this type of assistance during an emergency.

There are preferred procedures for reporting emergencies such as dialing 911, or an internal emergency number, or pulling a manual fire alarm but there are many other possibilities.

• Dialing "911" is a common method for reporting emergencies if external emergency personnel are used at your workplace.
• Internal numbers may be used for reporting emergencies. If they are, they should be posted on, or near, each phone. Internal numbers sometimes are connected to intercom systems so that coded announcements may be made.
• Employees may be requested to activate manual pull stations or other alarm systems.

No matter what system is used, it is imperative that emergency situations be immediately reported. Fires and other emergency situations can reach dangerous levels in seconds and any delay in getting emergency responders to the scene can result in additional loss of life and property.

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At Media City Animal Hospital,

The Fire alarm is at the entry door to the hospital, and can/should be pulled by ANYONE who suspects or sees evidence of fire or emergency that requires evacuation.

If Katie is present, she will call 911. If not, the most senior member of the leadership team will call. 

Posted on the back wall of the hospital is the number to the Burbank Police, 818-238-3000 (this is the non-emergency line)

Evacuation Procedures:

    Evacuation policies, procedures, and escape route assignments are put into place so that employees understand:

• who is authorized to order an evacuation,
• under what conditions an evacuation would be necessary,
• how to evacuate, and
• what routes to take.

                                  _______________________________________

At Media City Animal Hospital,

• Katie Taylor, the hospital director, or in her absence the most senior leadership team member is authorized to order evacuation of the hospital.
• An evacuation order will be necessary at the discretion of Katie or that most senior leadership member. Likely reasons are a strong noxious odor, the appearance of smoke, a serious earthquake, any indication of structural damage to the building, flooding, or a chemical spill (such as sevoflurane)
• Employees should evacuate using the closest exit door and meet at the tree in the north east corner of the parking lot.

Exit Routes 

Normally, a workplace must have at least two exit routes to permit prompt evacuation of employees and other building occupants during an emergency. More than two exits are required if the number of employees, size of the building, or arrangement of the workplace will not allow employees to evacuate safely. Exit routes must be located as far away from each other as practical in case one exit is blocked by fire or smoke.

Exception: If the number of employees, the size of the building, its occupancy, or the arrangement of the workplace allows all employees to evacuate safely during an emergency, one exit route is permitted.

Most employers create maps from floor diagrams with arrows that designate the exit route assignments. These maps should include locations of exits, assembly points, and equipment (such as fire extinguishers, first aid kits, spill kits) that may be needed in an emergency. Exit routes should be:

clearly marked and well lit,
wide enough to accommodate the number of evacuating personnel,
unobstructed and clear of debris at all times, and
unlikely to expose evacuating personnel to additional hazards.

                                  _______________________________________

At Media City Animal Hospital, We have four exit routes. One at the back alley, the front hospital door, the exit from room 7, and the exit from the "satellite" work center. Each of these must have signage maintained identifying them as a means of egress. 

We all must ensure the pathways to these exits are kept clear. 

Accounting for Employees

Procedures to account for employees after the evacuation to ensure that everyone got out may include designating employees to sweep areas, checking offices and restrooms before being the last to leave a workplace or conducting a roll call in the assembly area. Evacuation wardens can be helpful in accounting for employees. To ensure the fastest, most accurate accounting of employees, consider including these steps in the EAP:

1. Designate assembly areas or areas Assembly areas, both inside and outside the workplace, are the locations where employees gather after evacuating.

• Internal assembly areas within the building are often referred to as "areas of refuge." Make sure the assembly area has sufficient space to accommodate all employees.
• Exterior assembly areas, used when the building must be partially or completely evacuated, are typically located in parking lots or other open areas away from busy streets. Try and designate assembly areas so that employees will be up-wind of the building.

2. Take a head count after the evacuation. Accounting for all employees following an evacuation is critical. Identify the names and last known locations of anyone not accounted for and pass them to the official in charge.

• Assembly area design. When designating an assembly area, consider (and try to minimize) the possibility of employees interfering with rescue operations.
• Account for others. Establish a method for accounting for non-employees such as suppliers and customers.
• Additional evacuation. Establish procedures for further evacuation in case the incident expands. This may consist of sending employees home by normal means or providing them with transportation to an offsite location.

                                  _______________________________________

At Media City Animal Hospital, Katie Taylor, or the most senior member of the leadership team, will conduct a headcount based on the schedule for that day posted online and in zenefits of all staff members clocked in or possibly at lunch in the upstairs apartment.