When an emergency happens at your facility, one of the first decisions to make is whether to evacuate or shelter in place. If you need to shelter in place, it is important to have sufficient supplies and equipment on hand to support the needs of personnel and visitors for potentially long periods. Use this checklist to determine if you have the necessary supplies on hand and ready for use.
Facilities should undergo periodic safety inspections. The frequency is determined by the organization and local regulations and/or ordinances. Regardless of the frequency, use the following checklist to help ensure a comprehensive review. Modify it as needed to reflect the individual character of your organization or workplace.
Recommended supplies are available through the Red Cross Store.
When planning your evacuation routes to outside assembly areas and shelters, consider the following
In an emergency, proper lighting can point the way to safety. Some jurisdictions have mandated that exit signs be located at waist height and illuminated. Lowering signs reduces the likelihood that they will be obscured by smoke during a fire. Proper illumination in work spaces have been shown to help reduce eye fatigue and having good illumination when working with various tools contributes to safety. In these various settings light is generally expressed in terms of lux units which measure the amount of light over an area.
Proper emergency signage helps everyone in the building find a safe path to the nearest exit or shelter area. In some cases, zoning codes may require the signs to be illuminated and have a battery backup to ensure continuous operation during a power outage. Check with your fire department if you are unsure of local regulations.
Help keep your family safe in severe weather, man made/natural hazards with Emergency by the American Red Cross. Monitor conditions in your area or area of loved ones, prepare your family and your home, check to see if loved ones are safe and let them know you’re safe. - A must have for anyone who live in areas prone to severe weather or have loved ones that do.
Each year, the American and Canadian Red Cross Societies train emergency response volunteers on how to provide shelter and care for those displaced during disaster and other emergencies. One way your organization or business can contribute is by offering your facility as a Red Cross shelter. One way to contribute to this effort is by offering your facility as a Red Cross shelter.
The Red Cross has been organizing the safe collection and distribution of blood and related products for many decades. This service is of vital importance to health care providers across the nation and around the world
A disorganized evacuation can result in confusion, injury, and property damage. Use the following checklist to help evaluate your next evacuation or shelter-in-place exercise.
