Step 5) Educate Employees

People Make the Plan Work

A company’s employees are its greatest asset, and your business will be better off if your employees are prepared for an emergency or disaster.

In the event of a disaster, it's critical that your employees know what to do before, during, and after an emergency. Set up a call tree, an email alert, or a call-in voice recording to communicate with employees. When creating a plan, consider your employees' special needs. Remember: one of the best methods to ensure your company's recovery is to provide for your staff's well-being.

Ensure that Employees are Prepared at Home

Encourage employees to have an Emergency Kit at home, a “Grab & Go" Bag at work, and an emergency response plan. You can also direct employees to visit our website to learn more about emergency preparedness.

Ensure that Employees are Prepared at Work

Minimize risks in the workplace by keeping a First Aid Kit and an automated external defibrillator (AED) on the premises. To ensure that employees know how to use them, consider offering First Aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) courses. Courses are available from organizations like Canadian Red Cross and St. John Ambulance, as well as a variety of private providers.

Have an Evacuation Plan

Medical emergencies are not the only kinds of emergencies that can happen at work. If you had to evacuate your workplace, would your employees know where to go? Make an evacuation plan and ensure that all employees are familiar with it. Holding fire drills every month is a good way to make sure all employees know how to evacuate the building.

Prevent the Spread of Illness

You can prevent the spread of illnesses such as the flu by promoting proper hand washing (PDF) and encouraging employees to sanitize shared vehicles and workstations regularly.

Tips for Businesses

A company is only as good as its employees. The old adage applies to your Business Continuity Plan. Encourage all employees to assemble a 72-hour Emergency Preparedness Kit at home.
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