The legal framework
According to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Article 5, every company or institution is required to conduct a risk inventory and evaluation (RI&E). Based on this RI&E, every company or institution has the obligation to arrange emergency response through a company emergency response organization. The company emergency plan or contingency plan is an essential document in setting up a company emergency response organization.
Target
The company emergency plan is designed for companies and institutions that want to establish a solid foundation for emergency response. The basic principles for this are laid down in the Framework Directive, the Occupational Health and Safety Decree and the Occupational Health and Safety Act in the Netherlands.
Objective
A company emergency plan serves as the basis for emergency response. It clearly lays out the instructions and procedures to be followed. The principles for this are laid down in the Framework Directive, the Occupational Health and Safety Decree and the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Recognizable duties allow concerned personnel to minimize adverse effects on the company and employees after an incident, fire or other emergency.
Contents of a company emergency plan
General section: This section contains the general data, such as address details, contacts, object and building details, and the nature of the business. The extinguishing agents present are also recorded.
Company Emergency Response Plan: This sub-plan outlines the actions to be taken in the event of an emergency. It describes duties and instructions, how and when to establish a Local Coordination Center, and how to return to normal working conditions.
Alarm Plan: This sub-plan includes instructions and procedures for prompt and adequate alerting during emergencies such as accidents or fire.
General guidelines: This section contains guidelines for users of the company emergency plan. These guidelines include the building’s rules of use.
Evacuation plans: Part of the company emergency plan are the evacuation plans, on which all escape routes and means of assistance must be visible. Creating escape route plans is optional.
Additional safety products:
Methodology
As a follow-up to the FAFS scan: After conducting the FAFS scan, the evaluation report and the furnishing advice, the drafting of the company emergency plan follows in draft form. After an initial meeting in which all the basic principles are discussed, refinement of the plan takes place and the first draft is offered. During a second discussion, the draft plan is turned into a final plan, after which implementation can take place.
Updating a company emergency plan: At the first meeting, the old company emergency plan is reviewed. A tour is then conducted to get a picture of the risks and organization of the company or institution. No report is made of this. After this discussion, the old plan will be updated. During a second discussion, the plan is further refined and the first draft is offered. During a third discussion, the draft plan is turned into a final plan, after which implementation can take place.