Workplace Emergency Preparedness: Is Your Organization Ready?

I was in California’s South Bay during the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, and there are things about that day I will never forget.

For those who weren’t living in Northern California at the time—or who simply aren’t old enough to remember it—Loma Prieta was a major earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area on October 17, 1989. It measured 6.9 on the Richter scale and caused widespread damage throughout the region, including the collapse of a section of the Bay Bridge and a portion of the Cypress Street Viaduct in Oakland. Sixty-three people died, thousands were injured, and transportation and utilities throughout the region were significantly disrupted.

I was in the South Bay when it hit.

The shaking was crazy. Watching liquefaction happen in the parking lot was something I had never seen before and certainly never expected to see.

But one of the scariest parts actually came later.

I had to drive home in the middle of the night, crossing several bridges and traveling on roads when no one really knew what was safe. Remember, this was 1989. There were no cell phones providing instant updates, no apps rerouting us around damaged roads, and very little information about what we might encounter along the way.

I can still remember the uncertainty of that drive.

As frightening and destructive as Loma Prieta was, however, it pales in comparison to some of the disasters we have witnessed around the world in more recent years. We have seen entire communities devastated by earthquakes, floods, fires, hurricanes, and other catastrophic events. We have also become much more conscious of human-caused emergencies and violence that can suddenly change an ordinary workday.

Watching these events unfold has made me think again about my own experience—and about a question I think every employer should consider:

Who do we want to be as an employer when something goes terribly wrong?

Preparedness Is More Than an Evacuation Map

Most workplaces have an evacuation map somewhere. We may have emergency numbers posted. Perhaps there are flashlights and a first-aid kit.

But when was the last time we really thought through what would happen if a significant emergency occurred during the workday?

What if employees couldn't get home?

What if roads, bridges, or public transportation were unavailable?

What if power and cell service were disrupted?

What if employees were trying desperately to reach children, spouses, elderly parents, or other family members?

And what if the safest thing for employees was actually to remain at work for an extended period of time?

That's where emergency preparedness becomes more than a compliance exercise. It becomes a question about how you take care of people.

Do we want to be the kind of employer that is prepared for employees to be stranded at work?

If the answer is yes, what does that actually mean? Do we have water? Food? Flashlights? First-aid supplies? Backup power? A way to receive information if internet and cell service are unavailable? Does someone know where these supplies are? Are they periodically checked?

At the same time, it may not be realistic for an employer to maintain a complete emergency supply kit for every employee. A more practical approach may be to provide or encourage employees to keep personal emergency “go bags” at work, in their vehicles, or at home. These could include water, snacks, medications, a flashlight, a phone charger, basic first-aid items, copies of important information, and other supplies tailored to individual needs.

And, perhaps most importantly, does everyone know what to do—or would mass confusion break out because no one has talked about it?

These aren't questions we want to figure out in the middle of an emergency.

Do We Even Do Drills Anymore?

I remember a time when workplace emergency drills seemed much more common. Today, I wonder how many organizations routinely practice what they would actually do.

September is National Preparedness Month, which makes this a particularly good time to ask.

And for California employers, the Great California ShakeOut in October provides another opportunity to practice earthquake safety.

Maybe this is the year to actually participate.

A drill doesn't have to be elaborate. More importantly, perhaps it can be the beginning of a larger conversation: What would we do if this were real?

Emergencies Aren't Just Earthquakes

Earthquakes happen to be the disaster I remember personally, but preparedness today needs to be much broader.

It seems that almost every day we are reading about another emergency somewhere—flooding, fires, extreme heat, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters.

Then there are human-caused emergencies: workplace violence, active-shooter situations, infrastructure failures, and civil disturbances that could affect employees' ability to safely travel to or from work.

The risks aren't the same everywhere. A California employer may think about earthquakes and wildfires. An employer elsewhere may be far more concerned about hurricanes, tornadoes, flooding, or severe winter weather.

You don't have to prepare for every disaster imaginable.

But you should understand the realistic risks in your workplace and have a plan for what you will do if one occurs.

Start With Some Very Practical Questions

Emergency preparedness doesn't necessarily mean creating a hundred-page manual. It means having conversations before you need the answers.

Employers should consider questions such as:

• Who is responsible for making decisions during an emergency?

• How will we account for employees?

• How will we communicate if normal communication systems aren't working?

• What happens if employees need to remain at the workplace for several hours—or potentially overnight?

• Do we have appropriate emergency supplies, and who is responsible for maintaining them?

• Could we provide or encourage employees to maintain personal emergency go bags?

• Do managers understand their roles?

• When did we last conduct a drill?

• How will we support employees with disabilities or others who may need assistance?

• Under what circumstances would we close the workplace or tell employees not to report?

• How will we communicate with employees who are working remotely or at another location?

• What happens if employees need to leave immediately to care for their families?

You don't have to anticipate every possible scenario. You probably can't.

But you can create enough structure so that people aren't starting from zero during a crisis.

Preparedness Doesn't Stop at the Workplace

There is another important role employers can play that costs very little: encouraging employees to prepare themselves and their families.

Maybe one of the most valuable things you can do during National Preparedness Month is simply start the conversation.

Encourage employees to talk with their families about what they would do if a disaster occurred while everyone was separated.

Where will you meet?

How will you communicate if cell service isn't available?

Who will pick up the children?

Who will check on an elderly parent or neighbor?

What if you can't get home?

Do you have emergency supplies at home? What about in your car or at work? Would a personal emergency go bag make sense for you?

These may sound like basic questions—right up until the moment you need the answers.

Because when something significant happens, your employees aren't just employees.

They're parents. They're spouses and partners. They're sons and daughters. They're caregivers. And while you may need them to follow your workplace emergency procedures, their first thoughts will understandably be about the people they love.

Helping employees think about their own family preparedness ultimately helps the workplace as well.

What Kind of Employer Do You Want to Be?

For me, that's ultimately what emergency preparedness comes down to.

You can't prevent an earthquake. You can't control the weather. You can't anticipate every act of violence or every event that might disrupt your workplace.

But you can decide what kind of employer you want to be when something happens.

Do you want your employees wondering what they're supposed to do?

Or do you want them to know that someone has thought about this before?

More than three decades later, I can still remember that night after Loma Prieta—the uncertainty, the damaged infrastructure, and the experience of crossing bridges in the dark without really knowing what I would encounter.

I also remember that the closest fire station to our semiconductor facility was right next door. Yet we were nowhere on their radar that day. First responders and government agencies prepare extensively, but employers should not assume that help will arrive at their door anytime soon. In a major disaster, those resources may be overwhelmed and focused on the most urgent community-wide needs.

And yet, when I look at some of the disasters communities around the world have endured since then, I recognize how fortunate we were.

That's perhaps the most important lesson.

We don't know what the next emergency will be. We don't know when it will happen. And we don't know whether it will be relatively manageable or something far more catastrophic.

We only get to decide how prepared we will be before it happens.

So here's my challenge to employers during National Preparedness Month:

Ask your team one simple question:

If something happened during the workday tomorrow, how prepared would we really be?

And then listen carefully to the answer.

For help creating an emergency preparedness plan, please contact Edna Nakamoto.