HCSS Senior Safety Consultant Bob Emmerich discusses how to handle site emergencies such as major injuries or worse.

1. Crisis
Management
What
to
Do
When
it
All
Goes
Wrong
Bob
Emmerich
Safe-­‐Con,
LLC
Safety
Training
&
ConsulAng
5714
Merlin
St.
Madison,
WI
53711
(608)
270-­‐9528

2. What
is
a
CRISIS?
Any
incident
that
can:
• Affect
normal
company
operaAons
.
• Focus
negaAve
aXenAon
on
a
company.
• Have
an
adverse
effect
on
its
overall
financial
condiAon.
• Affect
its
reputaAon
within
the
marketplace.
• A
serious
work
site
accident.

3. • One
of
the
most
common
• Newark
NJ
airport
shut
down
for
full
day
Damage to Utility Lines

4. Highway
Accidents
Involving
the
Jobsite,
Vehicle,
or
Equipment
• An
accident
with
your
name
on
it!
• Public
traffic
• Pedestrian
traffic
• Traffic
controls

5. Structural/Subsidence
Collapse

6. Hazardous
Materials
• This
is
always
hot
news!
• You
could
have
a
chemical
spill
or
release
• PolluAon
(Media
Heaven)
• You
need
to
be
in
compliance
• Must
have
emergency
clean-­‐up
procedures

7. On-­‐The-­‐Job-­‐Injuries
• May
be
a
sure
bet
for
media
aXenAon
• Media
monitors
emergency
radio
frequencies
• Lots
of
chaos,
emoAon,
loss
of
producAvity
and
morale

8. Top
Crises
–
Crisis
Audit
The
purpose
is
two-­‐fold:
ê No
crisis
should
ever
be
a
surprise.
Every
project
manager,
superintendent,
and
foremen
should
do
this
exercise
on
their
drive
to
the
job
every
day.
Five
minutes
of
proacAve
thinking
can
put
you
in
control.
ê Can
prevent
an
accident
through
“awareness”
to
what
could
happen.

9. The
Crisis
Plan
The
purpose
of
a
crisis
management
plan
is
to
provide
a
systemaAc
approach
to
managing
a
crisis
in
an
organized
fashion,
without
causing
a
major
disrupAon
to
normal
acAviAes.

10. Purpose
of
the
WriXen
Plan
In
the
heat
of
a
crisis,
emoAons
may
reign
supreme
and
logical
thinking
may
not
prevail...
So
a
wriXen
plan
is
needed
to
help
you
through
it
and
preserve
your
reputaAon.

11. Crisis
Management
Planning
• The
Crisis
Management
Plan
• Crisis
Team
Members
• ResponsibiliAes
of
the
Crisis
Team
• Your
ResponsibiliAes
• Handle
Immediate
Needs
• Deal
With
The
Media
• PracAce
and
Evaluate
the
Plan

12. The
Crisis
Management
Plan
1. The plan should provide direction
and personnel assignments during
a crisis.
2. All company employees should be
aware of this plan and utilize it
during crisis situations.

13. ResponsibiliAes
of
the
Crisis
Team
• Media relations management
• Development of facts concerning the crisis
• Site securing, accident investigations, etc.
• Statements to company employees.
• Communication and support to families of
affected employees
• Development of action plans to deal with
the crisis

14. Your
ResponsibiliAes
The incident has occurred?
What are your immediate
responsibilities?

15. Follow
Your
Crisis
Plan
1. Know your crisis management plan
2. Understand the procedures you are
to follow
3. Know who your team members are
and their responsibilities
4. Enact the plan

16. IdenAfy
and
AXend
to
the
Injured
1. Are there injuries?
2. How bad?
3. Who are they?
4. Administer first-aid to the injured.

17. Get
Emergency
Help
(911)
• IdenAfy
yourself
• IdenAfy
the
locaAon
• Describe
the
problem
• Describe
special
issues
– Number
of
injuries
– Is
there
a
hazard?
–
What?
– Are
you
are
evacuaAng?
– Is
any
one
trapped?

18. Assure
Physical
Integrity
1. Is
there
a
structural
problem?
2. Is
there
a
fire?
3. Is
there
a
leak
that
must
be
contained?
4. Is
there
a
traffic
problem?

19. EvacuaAon
• Do
you
need
to
evacuate?
• How
will
a
noAficaAon
be
made
to
others?
• How
will
you
account
for
all
workers?

20. Secure
the
Site
• Post
someone
at
entrances
• No
one
in
except
emergency,
government
and
company
management
personnel.

21. Control
the
Work
Force
What
should
we
do?
– Have
them
keep
working?
– Send
them
home?
– Make
them
available
to
assist
emergency
personnel?
– Keep
them
gathered
for
iniAal
interviews?
– Get
immediate
counselling
support?

22. Control
the
CommunicaAons
• Limit
cell
phone
and
social
media
use
if
you
can
• Have
policies
about
unauthorized
photos
and
videos
• Keep
the
rumor
mill
controlled

23. AXend
to
Employee
needs
• If
an
employee
is
injured
or
worse
Consider:
– NoAficaAons
to
loved
ones
– Support
of
affect
families
– Counseling
of
employees
– Giving
statements
to
your
employees

24. Deal
With
The
Media
1. Only Authorized personnel speak to the
media.
2. But you may need to buy time until the
spokesperson arrives
3. If possible provide a secure place for them to
wait
4. Be prepared to deal with negative reactions
from the media
5. Keep your cool

25. SensiAve
InformaAon
That
the
Media
Will
Seek
1. Cause of the incident. Let the officials release this…
NEVER state a cause until after investigations are
complete and you are 100% certain
2. Specific damage estimates. Dependent upon the type
of crisis, this information is not usually readily
available and you would be forced to speculate.
3. Who or what is at fault. This can only be released once
the investigation has been completed.

26. Buy-­‐Time
Statement
• Allows
Ame
to
gather
facts
and
verify
informaAon
• It
does
not
look
like
you’re
stonewalling
• It
gives
Ame
to
get
the
plan
rolling!!
• Acknowledges
the
situaAon,
but
doesn't
really
divulge
any
informaAon
• It
gives
the
media
something
to
work
with
and
report

27. Buy-­‐Time
Statement
My
name
is
(___)
and
I
am
(Atle)
with
(company).
The
incident
has
just
happened
and
I
am
not
prepared
to
answer
any
quesAons
at
this
Ame.
Please
stay
in
this
safety
area
so
we
can
do
our
job
and
take
care
of
the
situaAon.
I
need
to
return
to
the
site,
but
either
(spokesperson)
or
I
will
be
back
by
(Ame)
with
an
update.
Thank
you.

28. Advise
them
that
someone
is
coming
to
answer
their
quesAons
“Mr. Jones is coming to the site to
speak with you. He will have more
information for you. He should be
here in about 15 minutes”

29. State
Only
The
Facts
• “There has been an accident. This
happened.”
• “People have been injured and have
been taken to area hospitals”
• “Our main concern right now is for
our employees and their families”

30. Don’t
Let
Them
Wander
The
Site
“I
am
sorry,
but
at
this
9me
we
are
only
allowing
emergency
personnel
and
authorized
inspectors
into
the
area.
This
is
for
your
and
everyone’s
safety.
Thank
you
for
your
coopera9on”

31. Be
Careful
to
Watch
Comments
– Avoid
“No
Comment”
– Never
provide
informaAon
“Off
the
Record”
– Don’t
expect
that
any
you
say
“Off
the
Record”
will
stay
off
the
record.
– Expect
that
any
thing
you
say
could
be
a
headline.

32. Do
Talk
• Saying
liXle
is
beXer
than
saying
nothing.
• Explaining
why
you
can't
talk
is
beXer
than
stonewalling.
• If
you
want
your
side
of
the
story
told,
you
must
tell
it.
– If
you
don't,
reporters
will
get
a
version
elsewhere...perhaps
from
a
disgruntled
employee,
or
a
worker
who
has
just
witnessed
his
best
friend
geqng
hurt
or
killed.

33. Tell
The
Truth
• Always
aXempt
to
tell
the
truth
based
on
the
facts.
• Reporters
will
find
it
out
anyway.
• Doesn't
mean
give
every
detail
• If
you
don't
know
the
answer...say
so!
–
It's
not
a
crime
to
say
"I
don't
know"
or
"I'm
not
absolutely
certain
about
that"...as
long
as
you
follow
it
up
with
"but
I'll
find
out
and
get
right
back
with
you."

34. Damage
Control
• You
never
want
to
have
to
back
track.
• But
be
prepare
to
correct
issues
and
provide
the
posiAves.

35. Spokespeople
can
spin
the
PosiAve
• Always
be
prepared
to
talk
up
the
company
• Excellence
of
your
SAFETY
PROGRAM
• What
are
the
highlights
of
the
company
safety
pracAces

36. Company
Fact
Sheet
• Number
of
employees
• Office
locaAons
• Geography
served
• Services
offered
• Annual
$
volume
• Key
management
• Business/community
involvement
• AWARDS

37. Crisis
Management
Any
Questions?