Every September, National Preparedness Month serves as an important reminder to think about what happens when the unexpected occurs.
Established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Preparedness Month encourages individuals, families, businesses, and communities to take steps to prepare for emergencies and disasters before they happen.
For employers, preparedness means asking an important question: If an emergency happened at your workplace today, would your employees know what to do?
From severe weather and fires to power outages, hazardous material incidents, medical emergencies, and other unexpected events, having a plan can make a critical difference.
Why Workplace Emergency Preparedness Matters
Emergencies don’t always provide advance warning. When something goes wrong, confusion and delayed decisions can increase the risk to employees, visitors, and emergency responders.
That’s why workplace emergency preparedness should be an ongoing part of an organization’s safety program—not something addressed only after an incident.
FEMA’s Ready.gov preparedness resources emphasize understanding potential risks, making plans, building preparedness, and knowing how to respond when emergencies occur.
For businesses, those same principles can be applied to the workplace. Employers should identify potential emergencies, develop procedures, communicate responsibilities, and make sure employees have the knowledge and training necessary to respond.
5 Ways to Improve Workplace Emergency Preparedness
National Preparedness Month is an excellent opportunity to review your current program. Here are five areas employers should consider.
1. Identify the Emergencies Your Workplace Could Face
Preparedness begins with understanding your risks.
The potential emergencies facing a construction company may look very different from those facing a healthcare facility, manufacturing plant, warehouse, laboratory, or office.
Depending on your workplace, risks could include:
- Fires or explosions
- Hurricanes, flooding, or severe storms
- Power outages
- Hazardous material releases
- Medical emergencies
- Workplace violence
- Equipment or utility failures
A professional workplace risk assessment can help identify hazards and areas where existing safety procedures may need improvement.
2. Review Your Emergency Action Plan
An Emergency Action Plan (EAP) provides employees with clear instructions for responding to workplace emergencies.
Depending on the workplace and applicable requirements, an emergency plan may address evacuation procedures, emergency reporting, employee responsibilities, accountability after evacuation, critical operations, and rescue or medical duties.
September is a good time to pull out your current plan and ask: Is it still accurate?
Changes in staffing, facility layouts, operations, equipment, or hazards can make an outdated plan less effective.
United Safety Professionals provides safety consulting and workplace safety services that can help organizations evaluate existing programs and identify potential gaps.
3. Make Sure Employees Know the Plan
Having an emergency plan isn’t enough if employees don’t understand it.
Workers should know how emergencies are communicated, where they should go, what evacuation routes to use, where assembly areas are located, and who is responsible for specific emergency functions.
Regular safety training helps reinforce these expectations and gives employees an opportunity to ask questions before an actual emergency occurs.
United Safety Professionals offers in-person safety training covering a variety of workplace safety topics and industries.
4. Strengthen First Aid and Emergency Response Capabilities
Some emergencies require action before outside responders can arrive.
Having properly trained personnel can make a significant difference during a medical emergency. Employers should review whether their workplace has appropriate first aid supplies, AEDs, trained personnel, and procedures for contacting emergency services.
USP offers First Aid, CPR, and AED training designed to give participants practical skills for responding to medical emergencies.
For workplaces involving hazardous materials, additional emergency response preparation may also be necessary. HAZWOPER training can help qualifying workers maintain knowledge related to hazardous waste operations and emergency response.
5. Practice Before an Emergency Happens
Employees are more likely to respond effectively when they have practiced what to do.
Emergency drills can help organizations test evacuation procedures, communication systems, employee accountability, and assigned responsibilities. They can also uncover problems that aren’t obvious when reviewing a written plan.
After a drill, document what worked, identify weaknesses, and update procedures where necessary.
Make Preparedness Part of Your Safety Culture
National Preparedness Month may happen every September, but emergency preparedness should be a year-round priority.
Use this month as an opportunity to review your emergency plans, talk with employees, evaluate training needs, check emergency equipment, and identify gaps before an actual emergency puts your program to the test.
United Safety Professionals provides safety training, consulting, staffing, risk assessments, and audits to help organizations build safer, better-prepared workplaces.
Is your workplace prepared for the unexpected?
Contact United Safety Professionals to discuss your emergency preparedness, training, and workplace safety needs.
Workplace Emergency Preparedness FAQs
What is National Preparedness Month?
National Preparedness Month is observed each September and is led by FEMA’s Ready Campaign to encourage people, businesses, and communities to prepare for emergencies and disasters.
What should a workplace emergency plan include?
The appropriate plan depends on the workplace and its hazards, but it may address emergency reporting, evacuation, employee responsibilities, accountability procedures, communication, and emergency response.
How often should an emergency action plan be reviewed?
Employers should review their plans when workplace conditions, personnel, operations, or hazards change and periodically confirm that procedures remain accurate and effective.
How can employers improve emergency preparedness?
Start by assessing workplace risks, reviewing emergency procedures, training employees, maintaining appropriate emergency equipment, and conducting drills to test the plan.