New Health and Safety Guide Helps Workplaces Prepare for Emergencies

HAMILTON, ON (April 14, 2004) - The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has just released a new Emergency Response Planning Guide. The 150-page pocket-sized handbook provides information for developing and implementing a workplace emergency preparedness and response program.

This comprehensive resource addresses the concerns of everyone in the workplace, offering guidance on risk assessments, identifying potential emergencies, developing emergency policies and programs, and conducting emergency drills.

The events of recent years such as 9/11, the Anthrax scare and the SARS outbreak, brought the issue of emergency preparedness to the forefront. Many businesses are now moving quickly to learn more about preparing for these and other possible emergencies, to minimize their potentially devastating effects.

An emergency response plan addresses how to deal with unforeseen situations such as fires, chemical spills, explosions, floods, injury and other crisis situations. It lets employers and employees know exactly what to do in the event of an emergency situation to ensure everyone’s safety and minimize property damage.

The guide outlines ways of developing and implementing an emergency plan tailored to a specific workplace with detailed procedures on exactly how to:

• Alert employees;
• Report emergencies;
• Evacuate the premises and designate assembly locations;
• Get first aid and medical assistance;
• Clean up, and resume business operations;
• Train employees;
• Test the plan by conducting drills; and
• Communicate with media, community and employees and their families.

The Emergency Response Planning Guide is the latest addition to this compact, easy-to-follow CCOHS Pocket Guide series.

The cost of the Emergency Response Planning Guide, and all CCOHS Pocket Guides is $10 plus shipping and handling. Prices for publications shipped outside Canada are in US funds. To order, please contact CCOHS Client Services by e-mail at clientservices@ccohs.ca or by telephone at 1-800-668-4284.

This guide is currently available in English. The release of the French version is coming soon.