How to Manage Emergencies at the Worksite?

It is a sad truth that accidents and emergencies can happen in the workplace at any time. According to the ILO, about 2.3 million men and women succumb to workplace-related accidents or diseases every year around the globe.

Even though nobody can predict these accidents, there are always ways to be prepared for the worst.

If you’re well-prepared in advance, then the negative impacts of the accident can be minimized, and the people concerned will be treated immediately.

So, here are some tips on how to respond to emergencies at the worksite.

1. Stay calm and composed

This is the first thing that you must master while understanding workplace emergencies. If your mind isn’t calm when an emergency occurs, you won’t be able to make a proper decision. In turn, this can worsen the situation.

So, have faith in your company or team’s emergency response plan. Then, if you want, you can always follow up with the emergency responders once to ensure that people follow it.

However, don’t pester the responders repeatedly; this can distract them or delay the process.

If you feel that it’s absolutely impossible to remain calm, you can start by taking deep breaths.

Otherwise, install emergency management software that can ease the burden of these events. Finally, teach your employees to understand how the software works so they can stay calm under pressure.

2. Assign an emergency leader

Another tip that works quite well is appointing an emergency leader who will tackle the situation well.

Of course, managers should ideally also play the role of an emergency leader. But, as a manager, you can always appoint others if you believe that they’ll be better or if you are absent.

The emergency leader must be notified first when the emergency occurs, or the alarm gets triggered. They must be well-versed in the dos and don’ts of the emergency plan.

Most importantly, this leader must efficiently handle the crisis without panicking or feeling helpless. Since being an emergency leader is a tough job, you must take your time and choose someone wisely.

3. Resolve the incident

It is equally important to examine the reasons behind the emergency situation in the first place. This will serve as the key to preventing any future problems from occurring. Take a team of your most trusted employees and check the root cause of the problem.

Suppose someone has grievously injured themselves by falling from a height. Here, you must see what safety measures can be installed at high altitudes in your office warehouse or elsewhere.

Similarly, if an earthquake has damaged your office building, see what installations can be done to make the building more earthquake-resistant. Again, break down what went right and wrong to understand better.

4. Know where the emergency kits are

Even if no emergency has occurred in your worksite yet, you still need to know where the emergency kits and equipment are.

Make a note of all the fire extinguishers around the worksite and whether they are working.

Have an adequate supply of first-aid essentials like band-aids, ointments, sprays, and medicines.

Before a medical emergency takes place, you should memorize the phone numbers for all the helplines, including the nearest fire station, hospital, and police station.

This will lessen the time needed to search and then find the needed items. Or you can even print out a list and post it on multiple sites at the workplace.

5. Learn CPR

Even though most people don’t take CPR too seriously, you never know when it can save someone’s life.

CPR, or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, is a lifesaving procedure that you can perform when someone’s heart stops beating.

Medical experts say that performing CPR right after a medical emergency can double the chances of saving the victim’s life.

There are two kinds of CPR that a non-medical professional can perform, hands-only CPR or compression-only CPR.

You can ask your nearest healthcare center to provide demo classes to teach everyone in the worksite about how CPR is given using a dummy model.

Over to you

Responding to worksite emergencies can take a toll on your body and mind. Therefore, you must understand the above tips and follow them to make it a little easier for you to cope with the sudden chaos.

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