EMERGENCY SUPPLIES

Encourage employees to keep a Disaster Supply Kit.

·       3-day supply of water: at least 1 gallon per person per day

·       3-day supply of non-perishable food

·       Manual can opener and eating utensils

·       Flashlights

·       Portable, battery-powered radio

·       Extra batteries

·       Basic first aid kit and manual

·       Warm clothing and blankets

·       Whistle

·       Filter face masks (N95 rating)

·       List of emergency contact information such as site maps, building plans, insurance policies, employee contact and identification information, bank account records, supplier and shipping contact lists, computer backups, emergency or law enforcement contact information, and other priority documents; store in a waterproof, fireproof portable container both on-site and off-site

·       Photocopies of important documents

·       Cash and coins

·       Sanitation and hygiene items (hand sanitizer, moist towelettes, feminine hygiene products, toilet paper, etc.)

·       Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper: 9 parts water to 1 part bleach can be used as a disinfectant, 16 drops of bleach to 1 gallon of water can be used to treat water in an emergency (do not use scented, color safe, or bleaches with added cleaners)

COMMUNICATION

·       Provide top company executives with all relevant information for the protection of employees, customers, vendors, and nearby facilities

·       Plan how to update customers on whether and when products will be received an services rendered

·       Tell government officials what your company is prepared to do to help in a recovery effort

·       Plan how to communicate with local, state, and federal authorities about emergency assistance you would require to continue essential business activity

·       Set up a telephone call tree, password-protected page on the company website, an email alert, or a call-in voice recording to communicate with employees in an emergency

·       Designate an out-of-town phone number where employees can leave an "I'm okay" message

·       Provide all employees with wallet-cards detailing instructions on how to get company information in an emergency situation

·       Keep employee emergency contact information on file and up-to-date; store copies with other vital records

BUILD A PLAN

·       Develop a system for knowing who is in your building and keep a roster, including customers and visitors

·       Determine a chain of command with the authority to order an evacuation

·       Locate and make copies of building and site maps with crucial utility and emergency routes clearly marked

o      Identify and clearly mark entry-exit points on the maps and throughout the building

o      Designate a safe room and clearly mark its location

o      Post maps for quick reference

·       Plan two ways out of the building from locations throughout your facility

·       Establish a warning system; plan how to communicate the warning to individuals with disabilities

·       Designate an assembly site near your facility and another in the general area

·       Plan for people with disabilities who may need help getting out in an emergency

·       If your company is in a high-rise building, an industrial park, or even a small strip mall, coordinate and practice with other tenants or businesses to avoid confusion and potential gridlock

·       Include preparedness training in new employee orientation programs

·       Encourage employees to take basic first aid and CPR training; offer on-site classes

·       Do tabletop exercises with members of the emergency management team; discuss individual responsibilities

·       Conduct regularly scheduled education and training seminars to provide employees with information, identify needs, and develop preparedness needs

·       Practice evacuating and sheltering with all personnel; test procedures for accounting for all employees, visitors, and customers

PROTECT YOUR FACILITIES

·       Attach equipment and cabinets to walls or other stable equipment

·       Place heavy or breakable objects on low shelves

·       Move workstations away from large windows

·       Elevate equipment off the floor to avoid electrical hazards in the event of flooding

·       Install fire extinguishers and smoke detectors in appropriate places

·       Consider if you could benefit from automatic fire sprinklers, alarm systems, closed circuit TV, access control, security guards, or other security systems

·       Secure all the ways in which people, products, supplies and other things enter and leave your facility

PROMOTE PREPAREDNESS

·       Include emergency preparedness information in newsletters, on company intranet, periodic employee emails and other internal communication tools

·       Talk to co-workers with disabilities about what assistance they will need

o      Engage people with disabilities in emergency planning

o      Identify people willing to help co-workers with disabilities and make sure they are able to handle the job, especially if this involves lifting or carrying

o      Plan how you will alert people who cannot hear an alarm or instructions

PROVIDE SUPPORT AFTER A DISASTER

·       Encourage adequate food, rest, and recreation

·       Provide for time at home to care for family needs, if necessary

·       Provide reassurance that families will be supported

·       Re-establish routines when possible; workplace routines facilitate recovery by providing an opportunity to be active and restore social contact

·       Offer professional counselors