| Emergency Preparedness and Response | | | | no opportunity to put their skills to use outside of |
| Most organisations recognise the need to plan for | | | | the practicable assessment they undertake as part |
| and even rehearse emergency response. Conduct | | | | of their training course. |
| an environmental or safety audit of one of these | | | | This is just one example of emergency scenario not |
| organisations and they will provide you with | | | | considered by most organisations. There are scores |
| procedures, flowcharts, emergency contact | | | | more. However the goal is not to indiscriminately |
| telephone numbers and evidence of evacuation drills. | | | | plan for every conceivable situation but to determine |
| The Insignificant Few | | | | what emergencies deserve a share of the company's |
| However in the vast majority of cases all of these | | | | limited resources. |
| activities will be focused on one or two emergency | | | | Risk Management Approach |
| scenarios, typically fire and bomb threat. This is an | | | | The solution is a risk management approach to |
| interesting situation because for most organisations | | | | emergency preparedness. Organisations should |
| these scenarios are neither the most likely nor the | | | | determine all possible emergency scenarios then use |
| most significant emergencies for their operation. So | | | | a risk assessment to decide which are relevant and |
| what should they be managing? | | | | require additional controls, possibly including response |
| The Forgotten Emergencies | | | | procedures and rehearsal. Depending upon the |
| An obvious example of emergency often overlooked | | | | nature and complexity of the operation, this process |
| is a serious medical emergency. Whether through | | | | can be carried out using internal resources or through |
| injury or illness, the emergency treatment of | | | | an external facilitator. |
| employee, contractor or visitor is probably a scenario | | | | By undertaking such an approach, not only does the |
| relevant to most organisations. All workplaces in | | | | organisation demonstrate a systematic and proactive |
| Australia require some form of first aid resource | | | | approach to emergency preparedness and response |
| including, with the exception of small employers, | | | | but also further develops a risk management culture |
| trained first aiders. However most first aiders get | | | | focused on managing what matters. |