How to Create an Emergency Action Plan for a Small Business

Most small businesses have a fire extinguisher and a first-aid kit. Far fewer have a plan everyone knows: who calls emergency services, where everyone meets, who checks the restrooms, what to do if the person in charge is not there. In a real emergency, that plan is what turns panic into action.

In the US, OSHA requires many employers to have an emergency action plan (EAP), and employers with 10 or fewer employees may communicate it orally rather than in writing. OSHA's emergency action plan resources explain the minimum elements. Even if you are not required to have a written plan, writing one down is the best way to make sure it exists.

Step 1: List the Emergencies You Might Face

• Fire
• Medical emergency
• Severe weather: storms, tornadoes, floods, extreme heat or cold
• Power or gas failure
• Violent incident or threat
• Chemical spill, if relevant to your work

Step 2: Decide What Happens for Each

For each emergency, answer:

• How do people find out? Alarm, announcement, phone message
• Who calls emergency services?
• Evacuate or shelter? And where
• Who does what? Check areas, help customers, assist people with disabilities
• Who shuts down equipment if it is safe to do so

Step 3: Plan Evacuation

• Mark exits and keep routes clear
• Choose an assembly point away from the building
• Assign someone to account for staff and visitors
• Plan for customers and people who need help to evacuate
• Post evacuation maps

Step 4: Plan for Shelter in Place

For tornadoes and some other emergencies, staying inside is safer. Identify an interior room away from windows, and know when to use it. The National Weather Service and Ready.gov have guidance on shelter-in-place.

Step 5: Medical Emergencies

• Know who is trained in first aid and CPR on each shift
• Know where the first-aid kit and AED are, and check them regularly
• Know the address to give emergency services

Step 6: Contact Lists

• Emergency services and the building address
• Owner and managers
• Utility companies
• Alarm and security company
• Key suppliers and insurance

Step 7: Train and Practise

• Walk every new employee through the plan in their first week
• Run drills at least once a year, more for fire evacuation in some settings
• Review after drills and real incidents

Step 8: Keep It Current

Update the plan when your layout, staff or operations change, and review it at least once a year.

See preparing your team for a health inspection, office receptionist daily checklist and winter weather preparedness checklist for small businesses.

How MyTeamTasks Helps

In MyTeamTasks, emergency equipment checks - extinguishers, first-aid kits, AEDs, emergency lighting - can be recurring tasks with photo evidence, and drills can be logged with date and notes. New-hire onboarding checklists can include walking through the plan, so every employee covers it in week one.