Have a plan before an emergency happens

Page 12

Just in time for North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, taking place this year May 2 to 8, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has released a new pocket-sized guide to help workplaces better prepare for emergency situations.

The Emergency Response Planning Guide is a 150-page, pocket-sized handbook that will be of benefit to anyone wanting to put an emergency preparedness plan into place within their workplace.

The guide, which can be purchased from the CCOHS for $10 plus shipping and handling, covers things such as how to conduct a risk assessment, identify potential emergencies, develop emergency programs and policies, and conduct emergency drills.

The guide is designed to help workplaces create emergency plans tailored to their specific needs. It also outlines procedures for alerting employees in the case of an emergency and reporting the emergency to the proper authorities, how to evacuate safetly, and how to get medical assistance for anyone who may need it.

The new guide is the latest in the CCOHS Pocket Guide Series. Other topics covered in the series include guidelines for worker safety in cold weather, for indoor air quality, noise control, and office ergonomics, and on how to prevent violence in the workplace.

There are also guides for specific types of workplaces and occupations, including health and safety guides for school workers, food service workers, warehouse workers, grounds keepers, welders, and in libraries.

The CCOHS is an agency of the federal government that works to promote health and safety in Canadian workplaces.

For more information about the Emergency Response Planning Guide, or one of the other guides published by the CCOHS, call client services at 1-800-668-4284,or e-mail clientservices@ccohs.ca.

For more information about the CCOHS, visit the centre's Web site at www.ccohs.ca.