Few people can think clearly and logically in an emergency because an emergency can take on many forms and is not something we deal with on a daily basis, thankfully. So the time to prepare for an emergency is before it happens.
Emergencies may be related to:
•Weather such as flooding, hurricane, tornado
•Health such as heart attack and stroke
•Accidents such as personal injury, fire, gas & toxic chemical release or workplace violence
Below are a few keys to surviving most emergencies.
Steps To Survive Emergencies
1) Remain calm. Your most powerful weapon in an emergency is your mind so we need it clear. Action is important during an emergency, but unfocused action is not helpful. As funny as it may sound, remember to breath, assess the situation and decide an appropriate course of action.
2) Protect yourself first by extracting yourself from any dangerous environment. If you are not safe, you will be of little help in obtaining or rendering aid to others.
3) There is a reason we provide emergency site specific stickers with emergency numbers for hard hats, because under stress its unlikely you will remember what such numbers are. Take a minute to familiarize yourself with where they are located on your hardhat.
4) Your FIRST CALL should be to emergency services so help can be moving towards you and others. Know where emergency equipment is located i.e. fire extinguishers, AEDs, and how to properly use them.
5) After emergency services have arrived and the scene is secure, then make your follow up calls to your supervisor. If your supervisor doesn’t’t answer, leave a message and make the next call until you reach someone directly.
RECAP: REMAIN CALM AND BREATH; GET TO SAFETY; ALERT