September Safety Focus: Emergency Action Plans

Tips for planning for and performing an evacuation drill.

Plan for an emergency, and hope it never happens.

Years ago, Olympic Steel Detroit employees handled an unfortunate fire emergency situation in the best way possible – evacuating the building in record time, gathering in the appropriate area, reporting to emergency contacts and remaining in place until the fire department gave clearance to re-enter the building.

This kind of organized response is only possible with careful planning and preparation. This month, our safety teams are focused on making sure every employee is aware of what to do in case of an emergency that requires employees to evacuate the building.

To ensure your facility’s evacuation drill is a success, here are some tips to help you:

• Know the primary and secondary emergency exit routes from your office, desk or work station.
• Review the emergency evacuation route map for your division – posted to OSSIE, in your division and available from a member of your local Safety team.
  

• Know where and who to meet outside the building to check-in.
• Invite your local fire department to observe the drill. They are trained for situations like this and can offer advice on how you can improve.
• Schedule a meeting with Safety and local Leadership to discuss performance and suggest areas for improvement.

Ask questions now to avoid not knowing what to do when it matters. Contact your local safety representative or Tony Dominic, Director of Occupational Health and Safety, at Tony.Dominic@olysteel.com for assistance.

Safety First. Always. And, it starts with me.