Can you locate a copy of your company’s Emergency Action Plan (EAP) within the next five minutes? 

If not, you’re not alone, unfortunately.  About one-third of business owners can’t.  The Florida hurricanes are a good reminder to the rest of us who have gotten sloppy and haven’t reviewed our disaster preparedness plans since sometime shortly after 9/11.  Now is a good time to protect your business investment.  RIGHT NOW.  

If you’ve made minimal effort to prepare, OSHA’s emergency action plan site is a good place to start.  You can create your own EAP with a simple, fill-in-the blanks form provided by OSHA:

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/evacuation/expertsystem/default.htm#

An EAP is a written document that is required for almost every business.  Its purpose is to help you plan emergency procedures that employer and employees will follow during a workplace emergency.  Some of these procedures include

• Determining evacuation procedures and emergency escape routes
• A plan to account for employees after an evacuation is completed
• Assignment of medical and rescue duties for employees who are qualified to perform them
• Methods for reporting emergencies
• Names and job titles of persons who can be contacted for information or explanation of the duties outlined by the plan

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health maintains a web site designed to help businesses as they plan for the unexpected.  View this valuable information at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/prepared/.