Emergency Preparedness

Emergency Response Plans should be in place for all workplaces, worksites and project sites.  Managers having control of a workplace are responsible for developing a site specific Emergency Response Plan.

Plans should address the emergencies that are likey to occur on the worksite, and would normally include:

• Bomb Threat
• Fire
• Gas Leak
• Medical Emergency

Other emergenices that might be applicable to your workplace include:

• Explosion
• Chemical spill or leak
• Terrorist act
• Any other foreseeable emergency associated with the workplace

Emergency Response Plans must take into account all aspects of any foreseeable emergency and outline planned responses.  Information that should be included in the plan includes:

• Workplace location and layout
• Muster point(s) or emergency assembly location(s)
• Emergency telephone number – 000
• Identification of all personnel appointed to assume responsibility in
  an emergency
• Specific planned responses to a potential emergency situation
• Arrangements for raising the alarm
• Emergency evacuation arrangements specific to the worksite

Employees and visitors to site must be aware of the emergency arrangements for the site – this is usually part of the induction.  Subcontractors who work on site, particularly those who are not supervised, should also be made aware of the emergency arrangements. 

Emergency arrangements should be tested / practised periodically, and a record kept of the practise.
Anybody who has an emergency response role must be aware of their responsibility and provided with the necessary training to fulfil their role.

The Emergency Response Plan must be displayed prominently throughout the workplace to promote awareness for all employees with respect to any emergency. 

Please refer to the following Safety@Work documents that will help you to plan and implement emergency response processes for your worksite.