Emergency Action Plan
Understand the requirements. Build a better plan.
As a leader in your organization, you may wonder if you are required to have an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) or provide Active Threat training. The references below can help answer some of those questions. While meeting applicable laws and regulations is important, the primary reason to have a comprehensive
emergency plan is to help protect your personnel and visitors
when an emergency happens.
In 1970, Congress created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, employers have a general responsibility to provide their employees with a workplace that is "...free from recognized hazards that are causing, or are likely to cause, death or serious physical harm." This is commonly referred to as OSHA's General Duty Clause.
OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910.38 outlines the requirements for an EAP when required by another applicable OSHA standard. When required, the plan generally must be in writing, kept in the workplace, and available for employees to review. Employers with 10 or fewer employees may communicate the plan orally.
An EAP developed under 29 CFR 1910.38 should include important information such as procedures for reporting emergencies, evacuation procedures and exit routes, employee accountability, critical operations, rescue or medical duties, and who employees should contact for additional information.
Michigan employers may also be subject to Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) requirements. Similar
to the federal OSHA requirements, MIOSHA requires an EAP when required by an applicable MIOSHA standard.
Even if your organization is not specifically required to maintain an EAP, having a comprehensive plan can help your personnel better understand what to do during a critical incident. Waiting until an emergency happens to determine how you will respond is not a good strategy. We can review your existing plan, make recommendations, provide you with our customizable templat, or help you develop a plan from scratch.