On the Job Training for Disasters

Written by: Kyle Kaan

Overview:

There are many different forms of disasters that can happen on the job. They range from employee injury, to the destruction of the business through a natural disaster. This blog entry will cover some of the methods employers can use to help their employees be prepared for a variety of disasters.

Relevance:

It is the responsibility of Human Resources to prepare the organization for disasters. If your business is not prepared for a variety of disasters you could be at risk for losing your business entirely. “As many as 40% of small businesses do not reopen following a major disaster like a flood or earthquake”, according to the Red Cross. After taking this into consideration, one must not disregard the importance of training employees for a multitude of situations. These situations will vary depending on the geographic location of the company and the industry they are doing business in.

Key Points:

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) “mission is to ensure a safe and healthy workplace for every working man and woman in the Nation” (osha.gov). OSHA creates and enforces government regulations for businesses to ensure the best working conditions possible for employees. Below I list and cite a few of OSHA’s general rules for disaster training and preparedness.

• Chain of command

• “The employer should designate an emergency response coordinator and a backup coordinator. The coordinator may be responsible for plant wide operations, public information and ensuring that outside aid is called. Having a backup coordinator ensures that a trained person is always available. Employees should know who the designated coordinator is” (OSHA Fact Sheet p.1).

•  Emergency response teams

•  “Emergency response team members should be thoroughly trained for potential crises and physically capable of carrying out their duties. Team members need to know about toxic hazards in the workplace and be able to judge when to evacuate personnel or when to rely on outside help (e.g., when a fire is too large to handle)” (OSHA Fact Sheet p.1).
• Training

• “Every employee needs to know details of the emergency action plan, including evacuation plans, alarm systems, reporting procedures for personnel, shutdown procedures, and types of potential emergencies. Any special hazards, such as flammable materials, toxic chemicals, radioactive sources or water-reactive substances, should be discussed with employees. Drills should be held at random intervals, at least annually, and should include outside police and fire authorities.”
• “Training must be conducted at least annually and when employees are hired or when their job changes. Additional training is needed when new equipment, materials or processes are introduced, when the layout or design of the facility changes, when procedures have been updated or revised, or when exercises show that employee performance is inadequate” (OSHA Fact Sheet p.2).

Theory:

As per the textbook; “During the past several years, a number of significant disasters have occurred. Some have been natural disasters, such as hurricanes, major snowstorms, flooding in various states, tornadoes, and forest fires. There also has been concern about terrorism, and some firms have been damaged by fires and explosions. All of these situations have led to HR management having an expanded role in disaster planning” (Mathis, HRM textbook p.495)

Take Away Points:

There are many different forms of disasters that can happen on the job. During the past several years, a number of significant disasters have occurred. It is the responsibility of Human Resources to prepare the organization for disasters. Using OSHA as a guide, a business can prepare a chain of command, emergency response teams, and provide training in order to greatly reduce the damages associated with the risk of a disaster that will be detrimental to business without proper preparedness.

Works Cited:

Mathis, Robert L., and John Harold. Jackson. Human Resource Management. 13th ed. Mason, OH: Thomson/South-western, 2011. Print.

"OSHA Archive." Osha.gov. United States Department of Labor, 4 May 1999. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. <http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_id=98>.

"Planning and Responding to Workplace Emergencies." OSHA Fact Sheet. Osha.gov, Apr. 2004. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. <http://www.osha.gov/OshDoc/data_General_Facts/factsheet-workplaceevergencies.pdf>.

"Workplace Disaster Preparedness Training." Redcross.org. Red Cross, n.d. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. <http://www.redcross.org/wa/seattle/programs-services/get-prepared/workplace-disaster-preparedness-training>.