MODULE II PART 1.pdf

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COURSE CODE: HE211 | Cookery (Workplace Hygiene and Safety)
MODULE II
Workplace Hygiene
and Safety
PART 1

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Workplace safety is very important for each and every employee in the
industry because all the workers desire to work in a safe and protected
atmosphere. Health and safety is the key factor for all the industries in order to
promote the wellness of both employees and employers. It is a duty and moral
responsibility of the company to look after the employee’s protection.
These days, workplace health and safety procedures are important for the
well-being of both employees and employers because human loss is
immeasurable and intolerable. As, such loss or injuries can employ major loss to the
families.
2.1 Hygiene Procedures
What you will learn
You may work in a service industry such as a hotel, café, club, commercial
caterer, fast food shop or any other business where food is stored, prepared,
displayed and served.
Whatever the business, part of your job will be to keep food safe to eat
using hygiene practices.
 personal hygiene – making sure that you are clean and wear clean clothes
 food safety – making sure that you handle food in safe ways
 environmental hygiene – keeping the equipment and the premises, such
as the kitchen, clean.
Importance of safe food handling
Many jobs in the hospitality industry require you to handle food. You may
store it, prepare it, put it away or serve it. This means you are a food handler. This
training will help you learn how to handle food safely so that people don’t get
sick. This includes your customers, people you work with and you. You must handle
food in the way you are trained so that you don’t make people sick.
Food poisoning
Food poisoning happens when bad germs called bacteria grow in the food
and make you sick after you have eaten it. You can’t see, taste or smell the germs,
so there are no signs that you should not eat the food. Food that looks fresh and
tasty can still make you sick. You can also catch a virus such as a cold by eating
food that someone else with the virus has touched or sneezed on.
A lot of people make themselves sick at home. Other people are made sick
by eating food from cafes, hotels, restaurants and take away places where food

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handling practices are not followed properly. Some groups of people can be
more affected by food poisoning than others and you could be handling food
for these people at any time. These people include:
 old people
 pregnant women
 children
 people who are already sick
 people who are allergic to certain foods e.g. peanuts.
Contamination of food Contamination of food means something gets into the
food that:
 should not be there
 can make people sick or injure them. There are three main ways food can be
contaminated.

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Cross-contamination of food Cross-contamination happens when germs
from one place (e.g. on food surfaces, hands, linen or equipment) pass to another
place. Cross-contamination can happen in many ways.
Food safety and the law
The government wants to stop people getting sick from bad food, so it
has passed some
laws that food businesses and food handlers must follow.
The Food Act
This law requires food business owners to make sure that food they sell or
prepare for sale is safe to eat. It sets minimum (lowest) standards of cleanliness
for food storage, preparation
and service areas, and hygienic food handling practices. Each state has its own
Food Act.

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Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code
This code contains detailed requirements for food businesses to operate
safely, including
how to keep food safe to eat. It is the basis for the Food Act in each state.
Your workplace will have procedures to make sure you follow this code at work.
You can find more information at the Food Standards Australia and New
Zealand (FSANZ)
website <www.foodstandards.gov.au>.
Food Safety Program (FSP)
Food businesses must have a food safety program, which shows their food
safety and hygiene practices and procedures. In most states this program must
be written, but in some states the business must notify the government
department of their food safety activities.
The program usually requires businesses to record information such as
food delivery times, food storage temperatures and cleaning schedules.
Your employer will train you in how to follow the food safety program.
Your employer will train you in how to follow the food safety plan.
Environmental Health Officers
Environmental Health Officers usually work for local councils. They check that
food businesses in their area are following the food safety laws. They make sure
food sold to people is safe to eat and that the kitchens and storage areas are
clean and well maintained.
It is an offence to:
 store food at unsafe temperatures
 have unclean kitchen and food storage areas
 not keep the required records
 have hand washing facilities that are not good enough
 not having clean and sanitized food equipment
 have evidence of pests
 not keep facilities maintained e.g. cracks in tiles.

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If the officers are not happy with the food safety and hygiene of a business, they
can fine the owners and even close the business.
Who can you report food safety issues to?
You can report a food safety issue to your manager, supervisor, chef,
owner or purchasing
officer. Each workplace will have its own procedure (way of doing things).
Report Poor Organization Practices
Processes or practices that do not follow the food safety program should
be reported. This includes the corrective action that has been taken.
Reporting enables poor food handling practices to be identified, and helps to
prevent these practices occurring in the future. It also increases awareness of
food safety issues.
You must report to your supervisor when:
 Critical limits are not reached and corrective action has been required,
eg when products being received are returned due to incorrect
temperature, use-by dates or packaging that does not meet standards.
 Equipment is not working properly or not operating at correct
temperatures, eg when
temperatures are not correct in cool rooms, freezers and other
refrigeration units.
 Hygiene policy has been ignored leading to contamination of food or
food contact surfaces.
 Lights in food preparation and storage areas are not working.
 Signs of pests are noticed.
 Supplies of equipment needed to reduce food safety hazards, such as
cleaning and sanitizing products or single-use gloves, are running low.
Reference:https://www.angliss.edu.au/siteassets/pdf-files/industry-training/learner-
workbooks/sitxohs002a_workplace_hygiene_2012.pdf

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2.2 Potential Hygiene Risk
Are your work clothes clean?
When you start work you may be given a uniform or told what to wear. It is
important to keep these clothes clean and wear clean ones for each shift.
Looking after your uniform
Do you have a uniform in your workplace? If you do, the following will help.
 Your uniform might be washed at work. If you have to wash it yourself, use
hot water and a sanitizer.
 Iron your uniform. This can help kill germs and also looks professional.
 Don’t wipe your hands on your clothes. Use a paper towel instead.
 Don’t wear your work clothes to travel to work. This includes shoes, as they
can gather germs on the way. This is a legal requirement.

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Are your hands clean?
You can get germs on your hands in many ways, such as when you go to
the toilet, touch raw food or touch any part of your body. You can’t see these
germs. A lot of germs can be passed on to other people or food through your
hands. You can pass these germs on to other people by touching them e.g.
shaking their hand or by touching food that they will eat.
When should you wash your hands?
Washing your hands might seem like a waste of time if you are in a hurry or
if your hands LOOK clean. But they could still be covered with germs. So it is
important to wash your hands often and properly to stop the spread of germs.
You must ALWAYS wash your hands at these times.
BEFORE
 At the start of your shift.
 Before handling any food.
 When you return from a break.
 Every time you come into a food preparation area, even if you
washed your hands after going to the toilet.
AFTER
 After you have been to the toilet.
 After handling anything else other than food e.g. money, cleaning
cloths, cleaning equipment or rubbish bags.
 After handling raw ingredients, such as raw chicken.
 After coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.
 After eating or drinking.
 After smoking.
 After touching your body or face e.g. scratching, fiddling with your
hair, picking your nose or rubbing your face.
 After handling animals.
Where should you wash your hands?
There should be a special sink where you only wash your hands and nothing
else. Don’t wash your hands in a basin where food is prepared and washed. Often
you can turn the tap on with your forearm, elbow, foot or knee. This means you
won’t get germs on your hands from the tap.
Obey any hand washing signs in your workplace.

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Wash your hands correctly
Washing your hands in a food workplace is different from how you might do it at
home. You must follow this process every time you wash your hands at work.

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What if you cut your finger?
It is easy to cut yourself in kitchens. Cuts can pass on germs from your blood.
What if you are sick?
If you are sick and you handle food, you can pass the germs on to the food and
make people who eat it sick. It could be a cold (coughing or sneezing) or a
tummy upset. Any illness that makes you vomit or have diarrhea is very infectious
(other people can catch it easily).

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If you are sick:
 you must not touch food or be near food
 you must tell your supervisor at work.
The supervisor may tell you to stay home until you are better, or give you
other work to do away from food.
If you accidently sneeze or cough on food, or bleed on food from a cut,
you must tell your supervisor so the food can be thrown out.
Food Safety
Food safety is how to make sure that food is safe to eat. Things that make food
unsafe to eat and make the workplace dirty are called hygiene hazards. Some
hygiene hazards are:
 poor staff hand washing and personal hygiene
 poor cleaning practices, dirty equipment and utensils
 food stored at the wrong temperature
 poor procedures for receiving food deliveries
 food cooled incorrectly
 pests e.g. insects, rats and mice
 poor procedures for disposing of dirty linen and rubbish.
What rules do you have at work? Your workplace has to follow the law
about food safety and hygiene. There will be workplace procedures (ways of
doing things) for you to follow to make sure you do things properly.
Your workplace has to give you the correct training.
Your supervisor may show you what to do when you first start work (induction).
There will also be posters and signs around the workplace to remind you of
correct procedures.
How do you keep food safe for eating? Sometimes you can tell straight
away if food is not safe to eat. It may look, smell or taste bad e.g. milk that smells
bad or bread that is mouldy.

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This food is spoiled. But you can’t always tell if food is unsafe. Food can have
germs in it that you can’t see or smell. These germs can multiply quickly and cause
food poisoning. So you must make sure that all food is stored, prepared, cooked
and served safely.
Which foods spoil easily? Germs grow more easily on some foods than others, so
some foods need special treatment. The foods that spoil most easily are high in:
o moisture (water)
o protein (mainly in meats like chicken, beef, lamb and fish)
o fat

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Did you know?
In the right conditions, a single food poisoning bacterium can grow into
more than two million bacteria in just seven hours.
Preventing contamination of food
If fresh food is prepared safely and eaten soon afterwards, people usually
don’t get sick from eating it.
You must follow your workplace procedures and make sure the food you
handle is safe to eat.
Here are the main ways to prevent contamination of food.
1 Keep food at the correct temperature.
2 Prevent cross-contamination.
3 Wash fruit and vegetables carefully.
4 Make sure objects don’t fall into the food.
5 Keep chemicals away from food.
Let’s look at these one by one.

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Keep food at the correct temperature

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Cooling cooked food
 Cool cooked food from 60°C to 21°C in the first 2 hours.
 Then put it in the fridge or freezer.
 The food must cool to 5°C or lower (cold food zone) in the next 4 hours.
 Divide large amounts of food into smaller containers so they cool more
quickly.
Reheating food
 Food must be reheated to 75ºC within one hour. Don’t reheat food in a
bain marie – it is not quick enough.
 Use a probe thermometer to regularly measure the temperature of different
parts of the food, including the thickest part of the food.
 Only reheat cooked food once.
 Stir or mix food to make sure the food is evenly heated and there are no
cold spots.
 Pre-heat oven or grill when reheating. Otherwise it may not be quick
enough.
Thawing frozen food
 Frozen food should be thawed in the fridge or in a microwave.
 In the fridge, keep it separate from cooked or ready-to-eat food.
Wash fruit and vegetables carefully
Fruit and vegetables must be washed carefully in clean water. This washes
off dust, sand, dirt, packaging materials or insects in the food. It also washes off
chemicals that may have been sprayed on the food.
If these things are not washed away, they could make someone sick or injure
them.
Wash everything, even if it says ‘ready-to-eat’ or ‘pre-washed’.
Some guidelines for washing fruit and vegetables
 There may be a special sink for washing fruit and vegetables. If there is,
make sure you always use this sink.
 Use cold running water.
 Rub soft fruit or vegetables gently e.g. tomatoes.
 For harder things, use a vegetable brush e.g. carrots or potatoes.
 Get dirt out of any cracks or creases.

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 Before washing, cut out any damaged parts and remove outer leaves or
stalks e.g. outer leaves of a lettuce.
 Don’t use soaps, detergents or bleaches.
 Dry with paper towels.
Keep the workplace clean
Cleaning and sanitizing
Keeping your workplace clean is called environmental hygiene. It will help
keep the food safe to eat. There are two main processes used to keep the
workplace and equipment clean.
Cleaning
Means getting rid of dirt you can see. This could be grease, food scraps,
dust or something that has been spilt. But there may still be germs on the surface
so you may need to take another step, called sanitizing.
Sanitizing
Sanitizing means reducing the number of germs that you can’t see. This is
very important for food preparation areas and equipment. Cleaning schedule it
may be part of your job to regularly clean all or part of your workplace so that
there are no food hygiene hazards.
All areas should be cleaned regularly, including:
 benches and cutting boards
 floors and walls
 utensils
 equipment and machines
 refrigerators and cool rooms
 storerooms
 sinks and wash basins
 crockery and cutlery
 linen e.g. tea towels and cloths. Your workplace may have a cleaning
schedule or plan that tells you about each job.

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A cleaning schedule should tell you:
 what areas to clean
 when to clean
 how to clean
 who does the cleaning.
Cleaning products and equipment

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Steps for cleaning
Here are some general steps for cleaning. Each workplace will have its own workplace procedures,
which may be a bit different.

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Dealing with rubbish
Food waste and other rubbish can encourage pests and contaminate food. Your
supervisor will tell you what to do with rubbish and you must follow the procedures.
Here are some guidelines for handling rubbish.
Rubbish bins must:
 be lined
 be emptied regularly before they are overfilled
 have a tight-fitting lid, to stop pests such as flies and rats feeding on the food
scraps.
You must:
 wear gloves when handling rubbish
 wash your hands after you have touched the rubbish bin, even if you have been
wearing gloves
 change your apron or overalls after you take rubbish to the outside bins, before
going back into the food preparation area.

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Pests in food businesses
Pests are things like mice and rats, birds, moths, animals, spiders, flies,
cockroaches and other insects. Food businesses have to control them because
they contaminate food and spread disease. If pests are found at your
workplace, the workplace could be fined.
Controlling pests
If your workplace is kept clean,
food is stored properly and there is a
method of pest control, then pests will
probably not be a problem.
Follow any workplace rules and
procedures for the control of pests.
If you notice any pests, or signs
that pests have been around,
ALWAYS tell your supervisor.

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Controlling pests at your workplace
Here are some ways of controlling pests. Use the list as a checklist for your
own workplace. Tick the box if the method is used in your workplace. Comment
if it is not. If you are in different workplaces, compare to see how things may be
done differently.

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Dealing with pests

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Reference: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/workplace-health-safety-security-procedures-
2608.html

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2.3 Action to minimize and remove risk
Identify the hazards
One of the most important aspects of your risk assessment is accurately
identifying the potential hazards in your workplace.
A good starting point is to walk around your workplace and think about any
hazards (things that may cause harm). In other words, what is it about the
activities, processes or substances used that could injure your employees or harm
their health?
When you work in a place every day it is easy to overlook some hazards, so
here are some tips to help you identify the ones that matter:
 Check manufacturers' instructions or data sheets for chemicals and equipment
as they can be very helpful in explaining the hazards and putting them in their
true perspective
 Look back at your accident and ill-health records – these often help to identify
the less obvious hazards
 Take account of non-routine operations (eg maintenance, cleaning operations
or changes in production cycles)
 Remember to think about long-term hazards to health (eg high levels of noise
or exposure to harmful substances).
There are some hazards with a recognized risk of harm, for example working
at height, working with chemicals, machinery, and asbestos. Depending on the
type of work you do, there may be other hazards that are relevant to your
business.
Who might be harmed?
Then think how employees (or others who may be present such as
contractors or visitors) might be harmed. Ask your employees what they think the
hazards are, as they may notice things that are not obvious to you and may have
some good ideas on how to control the risks.
For each hazard you need to be clear about who might be harmed – it will help
you identify the best way of controlling the risk. That doesn't mean listing everyone
by name, but rather identifying groups of people (eg 'people working in the
storeroom' or 'passers-by'). Remember:
 Some workers may have particular requirements, for example new and young
workers, migrant workers, new or expectant mothers, people with disabilities,
temporary workers, contractors, homeworkers and lone workers (see Your
workers)

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 Think about people who might not be in the workplace all the time, such as
visitors, contractors and maintenance workers
 Take members of the public into account if they could be harmed by your work
activities
 If you share a workplace with another business, consider how your work affects
others and how their work affects you and your workers. Talk to each other and
make sure controls are in place
 Ask your workers if there is anyone you may have missed
Evaluate the risks
Having identified the hazards, you then have to decide how likely it is that
harm will occur, ie the level of risk and what to do about it. Risk is a part of
everyday life and you are not expected to eliminate all risks. What you must do is
make sure you know about the main risks and the things you need to do to
manage them responsibly. Generally, you need to do everything reasonably
practicable to protect people from harm.
Your risk assessment should only include what you could reasonably be
expected to know – you are not expected to anticipate unforeseeable risks.
Look at what you're already doing and the control measures you already have in
place. Ask yourself:
 Can I get rid of the hazard altogether?
 If not, how can I control the risks so that harm is unlikely?
Some practical steps you could take include:
 trying a less risky option
 preventing access to the hazards
 organizing your work to reduce exposure to the hazard
 issuing protective equipment
 providing welfare facilities such as first-aid and washing facilities
 involving and consulting with workers
Improving health and safety need not cost a lot. For instance, placing a
mirror on a blind corner to help prevent vehicle accidents is a low-cost precaution
considering the risks. Failure to take simple precautions can cost you a lot more if
an accident does happen.
Involve your workers, so you can be sure that what you propose to do will work in
practice and won't introduce any new hazards.

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If you control a number of similar workplaces containing similar activities, you can
produce a 'model' risk assessment reflecting the common hazards and risks
associated with these activities.
You may also come across 'model' assessments developed by trade
associations, employers' bodies or other organizations concerned with a
particular activity. You may decide to apply these 'model' assessments at each
workplace, but you can only do so if you:
 satisfy yourself that the 'model' assessment is appropriate to your type of work
 adapt the 'model' to the detail of your own work situations, including any
extension necessary to cover hazards and risks not referred to in the 'model'
Record your findings
Make a record of your significant findings – the hazards, how people might
be harmed by them and what you have in place to control the risks. Any record
produced should be simple and focused on controls.
If you have fewer than five employees you don't have to write anything down. But
it is useful to do this so you can review it at a later date, for example if something
changes. If you have five or more employees you are required by law to write it
down.
Any paperwork you produce should help you to communicate and
manage the risks in your business. For most people this does not need to be a big
exercise – just note the main points down about the significant risks and what you
concluded.
When writing down your results keep it simple, for example 'fume from
welding – local exhaust ventilation used and regularly checked'.
A risk assessment must be 'suitable and sufficient', ie it should show that:
 a proper check was made
 you asked who might be affected
 you dealt with all the obvious significant hazards, taking into account the
number of people who could be involved
 the precautions are reasonable, and the remaining risk is low
 you involved your employees or their representatives in the process
Where the nature of your work changes fairly frequently or the workplace
changes and develops (eg a construction site), or where your workers move from
site to site, your risk assessment may have to concentrate more on a broad range
of risks that can be anticipated.

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If your risk assessment identifies a number of hazards, you need to put them
in order of importance and address the most serious risks first.
Identify long-term solutions for the risks with the biggest consequences, as
well as those risks most likely to cause accidents or ill health. You should also
establish whether there are improvements that can be implemented quickly,
even temporarily, until more reliable controls can be put in place.
Remember, the greater the hazard the more robust and reliable the
measures to control the risk of an injury occurring need to be.
Regularly review your risk assessment
Few workplaces stay the same. Sooner or later, you will bring in new
equipment, substances and procedures that could lead to new hazards. So it
makes sense to review what you are doing on an ongoing basis, look at your risk
assessment again and ask yourself:
 Have there been any significant changes?
 Are there improvements you still need to make?
 Have your workers spotted a problem?
 Have you learnt anything from accidents or near misses?
Make sure your risk assessment stays up to date.
Reference:https://www.hse.gov.uk/toolbox/managing/managingtherisks.htm

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2.4 Workplace Procedure for health, safety, and security practices
Safety and security are not only practical components of a well-run
workplace, many aspects have legal requirements at state and federal levels.
Depending on the type of business and the regional location, you may be
subject to a range of statutory obligations for the health and the security of your
workplace.
Beyond that, it's just good business. Effective health and safety plans can
reduce workplace injuries, which are a source of lost time, lost money for you
and your employees, as well as an administrative drain. Workplace security can
protect your business against theft, while also guarding the safety of your staff
against incursions of violence. Having effective health and safety programs, and
security programs in place meet statutory requirements; they also have buy-in
from management and workers alike, and these programs don't place a burden
on the business or on its efficient operation.
Starting a Health and Safety Plan
The United States Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health
Department, commonly known as OSHA, provides its Recommended Practices
for Safety and Health Programs as a guide for businesses implementing health
and safety procedures. Central to their recommendations is that you don't need
to start a program that's completely envisioned or configured. Instead,
introduce core elements and build upon those. Rather than having just a
document or a talking point, effective health and safety procedures are
embedded in the cultural fabric of your organization, and are an essential part
of the working environment.
Key Components of a Health and Safety Plan
1. A reporting system: A simple, clear, well-communicated procedure to report
accidents (including near misses), injuries and illness, as well as potential hazards
in the workplace.
2. Training programs: Some aspects may be legal requirements, such as
dangerous goods handling, while other components may deal with the facility,
and specific aspects of the health and safety plan.
3. Inspections: Employee and management teams regularly inspect the workplace
to identify changing conditions or activities that may compromise safety.
4. Emergency planning: Foreseeable emergencies such as fires and flooding have
developed action plans that are well-communicated with all staff through
meetings and workplace postings.

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5. Continuous improvement: Management seeks staff input before implementing
changes to the workplace, and regular meetings address not only current
health and safety issues, but also improvements to the health and safety plan.
Workplace Security Procedures
Concerns around security are topical, with workplace violence frequently
in the news, but security has other important aspects, such as protecting assets
and inventory and, increasingly, maintaining cyber security of data and client
information. Each aspect of security has its own challenges and procedures, so
security plans may often be segregated by outcome. For example, procedures to
secure a facility during a workplace violence incident may have little in
common with the lock-up procedures for raw materials.
Security may also have departmental concerns, just as the shop floor has
different health and safety challenges than the office. Data security is likely the
responsibility of IT staff, whereas a manager may have oversight over control of
office supplies storage and distribution. As with the health and safety plan,
effective workplace security procedures have:
1. Commitment by management and adopted by employees.
2. A clear, defined plan that's well communicated to staff.
3. Education and training provided to all employees affected by the procedures.
Reference:http://www.hia.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/HLTFS207C-Follow-Basic-Food-
Safety-Practices-course-notes.pdf

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2.5 Breaches of health, safety, and security procedures
Breach - The breaking of or failure to observe the law or promise or commitment
made.
An Organization OH&S system is likely to contain procedures for identifying,
assessing and controlling workplace hazards.
A safety and health management system means the part of the Organization’s
management system which covers:
 the health and safety work organization and policy in a company
 the planning process for accident and ill health prevention
 the line management responsibilities and
 the practices, procedures and resources for developing and implementing,
reviewing and maintaining the occupational safety and health policy.
Failure to observe any one of them constitutes a breach.
Identify workplace health, safety and security responsibilities.
Health, safety and security

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General OHS obligations and Duties

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Always remember that it is your responsibility to become familiar with these
requirements so that you will not only be able to recognize breaches but also to
avoid committing any yourself.
When it comes to health and safety, policy, procedure and adherence are
equally weighted. A breach of any one or more will cancel out all the procedures
and can prove to be very costly and dangerous for all the stakeholders
(shareholders, employers, suppliers, employees and customers)
Reference:
 https://slideplayer.com/slide/7021227/
 https://www.asean.org/wp-
content/uploads/images/2013/economic/matm/Toolboxes%20for%20Six%20Tourism%20La
bour%20Divisions/Common%20Competencies%20(as%20of%20February%202013)/Establish
%20and%20maintain%20a%20safe%20and%20secure%20workplace/TM_Est_&_maintain_a
_safe_&_secure_workplace_310812.pdf

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2.6 Deal with emergency situations, potential emergency situations.
Nobody expects an emergency or disaster -- especially one that affects
them, their employees, and their business personally. Yet the simple truth is that
emergencies and disasters can strike anyone, anytime, and anywhere. You and
your employees could be forced to evacuate your company when you least
expect it.
What is a workplace emergency?
A workplace emergency is an unforeseen situation that threatens your
employees, customers, or the public; disrupts or shuts down your operations; or
causes physical or environmental damage. Emergencies may be natural or
manmade and include the following:
 Floods,
 Hurricanes,
 Tornadoes,
 Fires,
 Toxic gas releases,
 Chemical spills,
 Radiological accidents,
 Explosions,
 Civil disturbances, and
 Workplace violence resulting in bodily harm and trauma.
What is an emergency action plan?
An emergency action plan covers designated actions employers and employees
must take to ensure employee safety from fire and other emergencies. Not all
employers are required to establish an emergency action plan. See the flowchart
on page 11 to determine if you are. Even if you are not specifically required to do
so, compiling an emergency action plan is a good way to protect yourself, your
employees, and your business during an emergency.
Putting together a comprehensive emergency action plan that deals with all
types of issues specific to your worksite is not difficult.
You may find it beneficial to include your management team and employees in
the process. Explain your goal of protecting lives and property in the event of an
emergency, and ask for their help in establishing and implementing your
emergency action plan. Their commitment and support are critical to the plan’s
success.

P a g e | 39
What should your emergency action plan include?
When developing your emergency action plan, it’s a good idea to look at
a wide variety of potential emergencies that could occur in your workplace. It
should be tailored to your worksite and include information about all potential
sources of emergencies. Developing an emergency action plan means you
should do a hazard assessment to determine what, if any, physical or chemical
hazards in your workplaces could cause an emergency. If you have more than one worksite,
each site should have an emergency action plan.
At a minimum, your emergency action plan must include the following:
 A preferred method for reporting fires and other emergencies;
 An evacuation policy and procedure;
 Emergency escape procedures and route assignments, such as floor plans,
workplace maps, and safe or refuge areas;
 Names, titles, departments, and telephone numbers of individuals both within
and outside your company to contact for additional information or
explanation of duties and responsibilities under the emergency plan;
 Procedures for employees who remain to perform or shut down critical plant
operations, operate fire extinguishers, or perform other essential services that
cannot be shut down for every emergency alarm before evacuating; and
 Rescue and medical duties for any workers designated to perform them.
You also may want to consider designating an assembly location and
procedures to account for all employees after an evacuation.
In addition, although they are not specifically required by OSHA, you may find it
helpful to include in your plan the following:
 The site of an alternative communications center to be used in the event of
a fire or explosion; and
 A secure on- or offsite location to store originals or duplicate copies of
accounting records, legal documents, your employees’ emergency contact
lists, and other essential records.
How do you alert employees to an emergency?
Your plan must include a way to alert employees, including disabled workers, to
evacuate or take other action, and how to report emergencies, as required.
Among the steps you must take are the following:
 Make sure alarms are distinctive and recognized by all employees as a signal
to evacuate the work area or perform actions identified in your plan;
 Make available an emergency communications system such as a public
address system, portable radio unit, or other means to notify employees of

P a g e | 40
the emergency and to contact local law enforcement, the fire department,
and others; and
 Stipulate that alarms must be able to be heard, seen, or otherwise perceived
by everyone in the workplace. You might want to consider providing an
auxiliary power supply in the event that electricity is shut off. (29 CFR
1910.165(b) (2) offers more information on alarms.)
Although it is not specifically required by OSHA, you also may want to consider
the following:
 Using tactile devices to alert employees who would not otherwise be able to
recognize an audible or visual alarm; and
 Providing an updated list of key personnel such as the plant manager or
physician, in order of priority, to notify in the event of an emergency during
off-duty hours.
Potential Emergency Situation
Below are some other factors to consider.
Historical - What types of emergencies have occurred in the community, at
this facility and at other facilities in the area?
- Fires
- Severe weather
- Hazardous material spills
- Transportation accidents
- Earthquakes
- Hurricanes
- Tornadoes
- Terrorism
- Utility outages
Geographic - What can happen as a result of the facility's location? Keep in
mind:
- Proximity to flood plains, seismic faults and dams
- Proximity to companies that produce, store, use or transport hazardous
materials
- Proximity to major transportation routes and airports
- Proximity to nuclear power plants
- What could result from a process or system failure? Possibilities
include:
- Fire, explosion, hazardous materials incident
- Safety system failure

P a g e | 41
- Telecommunications failure
- Computer system failure
- Power failure
- Heating/cooling system failure
- Emergency notification system failure
Human Error - What emergencies can be caused by employee error? Are
employees trained to work safely? Do they know what to do in an emergency?
Human error is the single largest cause of workplace emergencies and can
result from:
- Poor training
- Poor maintenance
- Carelessness
- Misconduct
- Substance abuse
- Fatigue
Physical - What types of emergencies could result from the design or
construction of the facility? Does the physical facility enhance safety?
Consider:
- The physical construction of the facility
- Hazardous processes or byproducts
- Facilities for storing combustibles
- Layout of equipment
- Lighting
- Evacuation routes and exits
- Proximity of shelter areas
Regulatory - What emergencies or hazards are you regulated to deal with?
Analyze each potential emergency from beginning to end. Consider what
could happen as a result of:
Prohibited access to the facility
- Loss of electric power
- Building collapse
- Trapped persons
- Chemical release
- Communication lines down
- Ruptured gas mains
- Water damage
- Smoke damage
- Structural damage
- Air or water contamination
- Explosion
- Building collapse
- Trapped persons
- Chemical

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