Two focuses of my blog are Organizational/Management Discussions and Workplace Discussions. Workplaces are not just places we go off to everyday. As we’ve seen throughout history, work is a place where crisis and emergency situations can arise unexpectedly and it’s important to have some level of preparation. The following contributed post is entitled, Running Drills: Training Your Employees For Emergencies.
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You’ll really get to see human nature in all its variability when you run drills for emergencies with your employees. Some people panic, they don’t know what to do and are at the mercy of the unfolding events. Some people go into survival mode and they just manage to do what will save them from harm. There are a few that have a good head on their shoulders, they don’t panic nor do they go into autopilot mode. They are conscious and ready to help others while saving themselves. You’ll only know what group of people you have working for you, if you do some drills around emergency training.
Fire drills
This is perhaps the simplest to undertake for any business. It is going to be a test to see the employees’ reaction time, their understanding of protocols, how they interact and help each other, but also, their ability to think clearly under immense stress. As the business owner you want to see that your employees remain calm. Panic spreads faster than a fire can and if people are not thinking clearly, they are more likely to end up harming themselves or others around them. So you want to hire a fire drill training service, that can teach employees how to react during a scenario whereby the office they are in is on fire, or the floors above or below are engulfed in flames.
Hazardous spills
If you work in warehouse storage or perhaps manufacturing, you are no stranger to hazardous spills. Training for this sort of thing is of course vital, but you also need a good biohazard spill kit. The kit will have absorbent material in it, which you pour over a spill. The material will quickly stop the spread of the liquid on the floor and make it easier to collect. It forms little solid clumps which can be swept up and removed. Personal protective equipment for the employees tasked with the cleanup is also going to be in the kit. We have found that if you have a reliable spill kit for hazardous liquids, employees are more likely to get the job done quicker and with more confidence.
Unconscious employee
Most people know what to do when they see an injured person. You know, stop the bleeding, put pressure on the wound, lay them back, lift their legs and check their pulse every 30 seconds. But what do you do when you come across someone who is unconscious? This kind of drill is very useful as the knowledge gained can be utilized in multiple scenarios. You should check the airway, check for any obvious signs of lacerations, punctures or impact trauma. Then provide CPR if required, warm their body, lift their feet above they head level and try not to move their back or neck.
Every business should run these types of drills at least once a year to keep with good common practice. It’s something that will come in handy during very rare but deadly situations.