Wednesday, October 12, 2011

On October 20 at 10:20 am, millions of Californians will take part in the Great California ShakeOut (www.shakeout.org), the largest earthquake drill ever. The ShakeOut is a time for Californians to practice how to protect themselves during earthquakes and to become prepared at work, school, and home.

Whether or not you're planning to take part in the ShakeOut next Thursday, here are some important points to remember about emergency evacuation.

Got questions about emergency planning? Check out EHS Real-Life Answers: Emergency Planning & Response. » Learn more

1. In an evacuation, time is of the essence: The faster you get your customers and employees out of your facility in an emergency, the less chance there is of someone being injured or killed.
   
   Note this poignant example: During the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, it took four hours to evacuate the towers. As a result, evacuation procedures were subsequently reviewed and improved.
   
   On September 11, 2001, the buildings were evacuated in less than one-quarter the amount of time as a result of the improved evacuation procedures. Had that not been the case, many more people might have died; the south tower collapsed less than an hour after the plane hit.
2. Practice, practice, practice: Your organization may consider drills time-consuming and disruptive - but they're worth the aggravation.
   
   Regular drills ensure that your employees know what to do when it comes time to evacuate, meaning that they will be able to evacuate themselves, co-workers, and customers calmly and confidently. In panicked evacuations, bad decisions often occur -- these can cost the lives of not only your employees, but also those of emergency responders.
   
   Also, don't allow your evacuation drill to be a rote exercise. Discuss with employees how the evacuation drill went - what worked and what didn't - in order to gain insight into ways to improve your procedures.
3. Don't just designate - evaluate your escape routes: What looks good on paper may not work in real life. When designating your evacuation routes, actually walk each route, observing how your escape route looks on a day-to-day basis and evaluating what may impede evacuation along the route (storage of materials, for example).
   
   Also consider what will likely happen during the evacuation. For example, do you have equipment like forklifts or other mobile equipment that, if stopped in place during an evacuation, could cause problems with evacuation?
   
   Also consider how well marked the way out is. Is it marked all along the route, or have you marked only the exits? Relatively inexpensive details like reflective paint on stairs, railings, and stairwell doors, and bright arrows to guide people along corridors to exits, as well as battery-operated emergency lighting, can help ensure the way out is easy to find even in the dark or in smoke.