According to United States Department of Labor one of the frequently asked questions by business owners is: Do I Need an Emergency Action Plan? The simple answer: Yes!
Almost every business is required to have an emergency action plan (EAP). If fire extinguishers are required or provided in your workplace, and if anyone will be evacuating during a fire or other emergency, then OSHA's 29 CFR 1910.157 requires you to have an EAP.
The only exemption to this is if you have an in-house fire brigade in which every employee is trained and equipped to fight fires, and consequently, no one evacuates. So, you should be asking yourself "Do I run a Fire Station?" and if the answer is "no" then you should consider getting a EAP in place. It could save your life or the lives of your employees.
In most circumstances, immediate evacuation is the best policy, especially if professional firefighting services are available to respond quickly. There may be situations where employee firefighting is warranted to give other workers time to escape, or to prevent danger to others by spread of a fire. In this case, you as the employer are still required to have an EAP.
Still unsure about whether you are required to have an EAP??? Contact our Experts and we will help you determine whether you are required to have an EAP.