Emergency Procedures

Transcription

1 Emergency Procedures What is an emergency? Management Considerations Hazard Specific Information

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3 Table of Contents 1 Introduction 5 What is an Emergency?. 5 Business Continuity. 5 Protect Business Records and Inventory Emergency Management Considerations 7 Communications. 7 Emergency Communications. 7 Emergency responders Staff Notification. 8 Family Communications. 8 Non-Emergency Backup Procedures. 8 When the Internet is down Partial Outage (have phones but no internet). 9 When the Internet and Phone Lines are Down. 10 Life Safety. 11 Addressing Safety and Health Hazards in the Workplace. 11 Recovery and Restoration. 12 Employee Support Resuming Operations Hazard Specific Information 13 Hazards: Fire Hazards: Floods and Flash Floods. 13 Hazards: Hurricanes. 14 Hazards: Tornadoes. 14 Hazards: Severe Winter Storms Hazards: Technological Emergencies. 15 Exhibit A 17 Exhibit B 19

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5 Emergency Procedures 1 Introduction The goal of this guide is to help franchise owners and managers think about all the potential disruptions they face and the steps they can take to either prevent or minimize their effects. While studies suggest 10% to 20% of business disruptions are due to natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes, that s not the biggest threat. Common and costly causes of business interruption include communication failure and or the loss or unavailability of key personnel. The first critical step for any business is to reduce its vulnerabilities by doing a thorough self-assessment with the help of this guide. What is an Emergency? An emergency is any unplanned event that can cause deaths or significant injuries to employees, customers or the public; or that can shut down your business, disrupt operations, cause physical or environmental damage, or threaten the facility s financial standing or public image. Emergencies Include: Communications Failure Power Loss Fire Medical Tornado Winter Storm There are a series of appropriate responses to emergencies, all immediate in nature. Business Continuity Business continuity is the process of developing advance arrangements and procedures that enable an organization to respond to an event that could occur by chance or unforeseen circumstances. Protecting your business from disasters caused by natural hazards can involve a variety of actions, from inspecting and maintaining your building to installing protective devices. 10 Steps to get your business continuity plan started Meet with your insurance provider to review current coverage. Use and keep up-to-date computer antivirus software and firewalls. Back up your records and critical data. Create a list of inventory and equipment, including computer hardware, software, and peripherals. Elevate valuable inventory and electric machinery off the floor in case of flooding.

6 Emergency Procedures Create an emergency contact list of employees and set up a telephone call tree to communicate with employees. Talk to your vendors, peers, and customers about a backup location to run your business if your main location becomes unavailable. Create a list of critical business suppliers. Install appropriate fire protection equipment, including smoke detectors and fire extinguishers. 10. Promote family and individual preparedness among your workers. The remainder of this guide will assist you in creating this continuity plan. Protect Business Records and Inventory Most businesses keep on-site records and files (both hardcopy and electronic) that are essential to normal operations. The loss of essential records, files, and other materials during a disaster is commonplace and can not only add to your damage costs, but also delay your return to normal operations. The longer your business is not operating, the more likely you are to lose customers permanently to your competitors. To reduce your vulnerability, determine which records, files, and materials are most important; consider their vulnerability to damage during different types of disasters (such as floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes); and take steps to protect them, including the following: raising computers above the flood level and moving them away from large windows moving heavy and fragile objects to low shelves storing vital documents (plans, legal papers, etc.) in a secure off-site location regularly backing up vital electronic files (such as billing and payroll records and customer lists) and storing backup copies in a secure off-site location securing equipment that could move or fall during an earthquake Maintain an updated list of addresses and telephone numbers of key personnel, customers, and employees on an ongoing basis to access when computers are inaccessible. Listen for tornado, hurricane and other severe weather warnings issued by the National Weather Service.

7 Emergency Procedures 2 Emergency Management Considerations Communications Communications are essential to any business operation. A communications failure can be a disaster in itself, cutting off vital business activities. Communications are needed to report emergencies, to warn personnel of the danger, to keep families and offduty employees informed about what s happening at the facility to coordinate response actions and to keep in contact with customers and suppliers. It is important to plan for all possible contingencies from a temporary or short- term disruption to a total communications failure. Methods of communication include: Telephone Cell Phone Two-way radio FAX machine High Speed Internet In the event that any communications fail, talk to your communications vendors about their emergency response capabilities and procedures for restoring services. Please list your communication vendors here: Internet Provider: Phone: ( ) - Phone Provider: Phone: ( ) - Emergency Communications Consider the functions your office might need to perform in an emergency and the communications systems needed to support them by looking at communications between: Emergency responders Family communications Staff notification Emergency responders Local Police Department: ( ) - Local Fire Department: ( ) -

8 Emergency Procedures Staff Notification In the event of an emergency, report to the following contacts immediately: 1. Phone: ( ) - Hire Quest Support Center Phone: (800) Family Communications In an emergency, personnel will need to know whether their families are okay. Taking care of one s loved ones is always a first priority. Make plans for communicating with employees families in an emergency. List Emergency Contact Information for each staff member below: Employee Name Phone Number Emergency Contact Phone Number You should also encourage employees to: Consider how they would communicate with their families in case they are separated from one another or injured in an emergency. Arrange for an out-of-town contact for all family members to call in an emergency. Designate a place to meet family members in case they cannot get home in an emergency. Note: Please fill out the Emergency Contact Sheet in Exhibit A with the above information and make readily available to all staff members. Non-Emergency Backup Procedures Since daily operations depend on the usability of communication devices such as internet and phone lines, here are some guidelines to helping you in daily procedures without all the technology. When the Internet is down Step 1: Power Cycling First unplug your modem and your router from the wall. Wait 30 seconds to allow it to reset. Plug the modem back in and wait for a solid light to turn back on. Plug in the router. Proceed to Step 2 if the internet is still not working.

9 Emergency Procedures Step 2: Rebooting your computer Turn off your computer. Turn off the router and all other extra devices including printers. Now turn on the computer. Turn on the other devices. If the internet is still not working, please contact your service provider listed on the previous page. If your internet provider cannot help you restore connection, you may wish to proceed to the next two sections. Partial Outage (have phones but no internet) Handwriting Time Slips 1. Hand write all Time Slips with the correct work date, customer name, and employee name(s) clearly printed. Make sure to verify signature at the end of the day. Call the Hire Quest Support Center s Operation Department to enter Time Slips into HQ WebConnect. Be ready to provide the customer names and employees dispatched (during office hours 8:30-5:00 EST). Fill in the Time Slip number generated in HQ WebConnect onto the handwritten Time Slip after power is resorted. Handwriting Paychecks If you are using MICR checks, you will need to have about a weeks stock of pre-printed checks to use for handwriting checks in case of an emergency. 1. Call the Hire Quest Support Center as hours arrive and provide a listing of hours worked for each employee. (during office hours 8:30-5:00 EST) Obtain pre-printed payroll checks from your branch owner or manager to be able to hand write paychecks. Wait for a returned call from Hire Quest Support Center with the net paycheck amount. Hand write a check for the net amount from Hire Quest. Record employee name, check #, and amount of check on the Emergency Check Receipt Log in Exhibit B and have employee sign the worksheet verifying they received the check for the recorded amount. Recording Handwritten Checks When the power is restored In HQ WebConnect go to Paychecks/Reports and print the Check Register report for the date(s) that the hand written checks were written on. Compare the check amounts on Check Register to the check amounts on the Emergency Check Receipt Log(s).

10 10 Emergency Procedures Contact the Hire Quest Support Center with any discrepancies. When the Internet and Phone Lines are Down Handwriting Time Slips 1. Hand write all Time Slips with the correct work date, customer name, and employee name(s) clearly printed. Make sure to verify signature at the end of the day. Enter Time Slips into HQ WebConnect when power is restored. Fill in the Time Slip number generated in HQ WebConnect onto the handwritten Time Slip. Handwriting Paychecks If you are using MICR checks, you will need to have about a weeks stock of pre-printed checks to use for handwriting checks in case of an emergency. We suggest you keep these locked up for emergency only situations. 1. Obtain pre-printed payroll checks from your branch owner or manager to be able to hand write paychecks. 4. Find out how much of a Cash Advance the employee needs up to a maximum of 70% of their estimated gross earnings (Hours x Pay Rate x.70). Hand write a check based on cash advance needed and notify employees that when electricity is up and running again, they will receive the rest of their earnings. Record employee name, check #, and amount of check on the Emergency Check Receipt Log in Exhibit B and have employee sign the worksheet verifying they received the check for the recorded amount. When Communication is restored Recording Handwritten Checks 1. In HQ WebConnect, first create an In-House Time Slip for each employee that received a handwritten paycheck while the power was out. Do not create or print this check since it has already been issued to the employee. Complete the Emergency Check Receipt Log by adding the employee id numbers from HQ WebConnect and fax the log to the Hire Quest Support Center and your franchise owner so that they can mark all In-House hours as paid. Then, create the time slips and/ paychecks with the correct hours the employees are supposed to be paid. Add a Cash Advance one time deduction equal to the amount of the previous hand-written paycheck according to the Emergency Check Receipt Log. 4. Issue the employee this check ASAP. (see notes on combining paychecks on next page) Additional Notes: To combine multiple checks use the Employee Hours Entry-Batch Pay window by selecting the employee filter. All unpaid employee hours will show when you Get Hours. Select hours from the current week and choose Print Selected Checks. A

11 Emergency Procedures 11 prompt will come up that asks if you would like to combine paychecks onto one check. If the Cash Advance deduction makes the paycheck amount be negative, call the Hire Quest Support Center to assist you further. Life Safety Addressing Safety and Health Hazards in the Workplace Workplace safety is about protecting employees and volunteers from work-related injury and illness. To make the workplace safer, it is important to be aware of the following job hazards: Opening and Closing the office During both early and late hours it is important to be cautious when entering/exiting the building. Park close to the entrance of your building, and talk with the police or a manager if you fear an assault at work. Disgruntled Employee When you meet with someone who is angry, you can use the tools of effective listening to help defuse this anger. Nevertheless, when anger is directed at you, it is much more difficult to respond definitively, because your own emotions are usually involved. To effectively defuse anger, keep in mind the needs of the angry speaker: To vent. An angry person needs to let off steam and release the anger that may have been brewing for a long time. Use your communication skills to allow the person to do this. To get the listener s attention. An angry person wants to know that you are paying attention. Use your body language to show this. To be heard. An angry person wants someone to listen to their point of view. Acknowledge the feelings you hear so that the speaker knows you appreciate how angry they are. To be understood. An angry person wants someone to appreciate how they feel. Try to empathize with their experience so that they feels you understand the situation, and acknowledge their right to feel the way they do. When you re listening to an angry person: Be attentive and patient. Keep in mind that they will become less angry as you let them talk. Be sincere. Empathy and validation must be both honest and genuine. Be calm. Try to remove your own emotions from the discussion. Remember that an angry person may say inflammatory things in the heat of the moment, but you do not have to react angrily. Injuries in the office When injured on the job, evaluate if your injury calls for emergency care. If not, contact your direct supervisor for treatment options.

12 12 Emergency Procedures Recovery and Restoration The recovery process may entail: Repairing or replacing computer and communication equipment (see HQ WebConnect Manual for computer requirements) Relocating operations to an alternate location temporarily Employee Support Since employees who will rely on you for support after an emergency are your most valuable asset, consider the range of services that you could provide or arrange for, including: Cash advances Salary continuation Flexible work hours Reduced work hours Crisis counseling Care packages Day care After a site emergency, assess the impact of the event on business neighbors and the community and take appropriate action. How you handle this issue will have long-lasting consequences. Resuming Operations Immediately after an emergency, take steps to resume operations. Continue to ensure the safety of personnel on the property. Assess remaining hazards. Maintain security at the incident scene. Conduct an employee briefing. Keep detailed records. Consider audio recording all decisions. Follow notification procedures. Notify employees families about the status of personnel on the property. Notify off-duty personnel about work status. Protect undamaged property. Close up building openings. Remove smoke, water and debris. Protect equipment against moisture. Restore sprinkler systems. Physically secure the property. Restore power. Maintain contact with customers and suppliers. To help the business recover quickly from any given emergency, you may want to consider making contractual arrangements with customers for post-emergency services such as job site cleanup, employment shortages, etc. It is also good to have an updated printed list of customer contact information so that you can attempt to make sales calls before the competition.

13 Emergency Procedures 13 3 Hazard Specific Information Hazards: Fire Fire is the most common of all the hazards. Every year fires cause thousands of deaths and injuries and billions of dollars in property damage. Planning Considerations Consider the following when developing your plan: 1. Have your facility inspected for fire hazards. Ask about fire codes and regulations Ask your insurance carrier to recommend fire prevention and protection measures. Your carrier may also offer training. Provide for the safe disposal of smoking materials. Place fire extinguishers in appropriate locations. Train employees in use of fire extinguishers. Install smoke detectors. Check smoke detectors once a month, change batteries at least once a year. Identify and mark all utility shutoffs so that electrical power, gas or water can be shut off quickly by fire wardens or responding personnel. Determine the level of response your facility will take if a fire occurs. Among the options are: Option 1 -- Immediate evacuation of all personnel on alarm. Option 2 -- All personnel are trained in fire extinguisher use. Personnel in the immediate area of a fire attempt to control it. If they cannot, the fire alarm is sounded and all personnel evacuate. Option 3 -- Only designated personnel are trained in fire extinguisher use. Hazards: Floods and Flash Floods Floods are the most common and widespread of all natural disasters. Most communities in the United States can experience some degree of flooding after spring rains, heavy thunderstorms or winter snow thaws. Most floods develop slowly over a period of days. Flash floods, however, are like walls of water that develop in a matter of minutes. Flash floods can be caused by intense storms or dam failure. Planning Considerations Consider the following when preparing for floods: 1. Ask your local emergency management office whether your facility is located in a flood plain. Learn the history of flooding in your area. Learn the elevation of your facility in relation to steams, rivers and dams. Review the community's emergency plan. Learn the community's evacuation routes. Know where to find higher ground in case of a flood.

14 14 Emergency Procedures 4. Establish warning and evacuation procedures for the facility. Make plans for assisting employees who may need transportation. Inspect areas in your facility subject to flooding. Identify records and equipment that can be moved to a higher location. Make plans to move records and equipment in case of flood. 5. Ask your insurance carrier for information about flood insurance. Regular property and casualty insurance does not cover flooding. Hazards: Hurricanes Hurricanes are severe tropical storms with sustained winds of 74 miles per hour or greater. Hurricane winds can reach 160 miles per hour and extend inland for hundreds of miles. They bring torrential rains and a storm surge of ocean water that crashes into land as the storm approaches. Hurricanes also spawn tornadoes. Hurricane advisories are issued by the National Weather Service as soon as a hurricane appears to be a threat. The hurricane season lasts from June through November. Planning Considerations The following are considerations when preparing for hurricanes: Establish warning and evacuation procedures for employees. Make plans for assisting employees who may need transportation. Make plans for communicating with employees' families before and after a hurricane. Hurricane Watch -- A hurricane is possible within 24 to 36 hours. Stay tuned for additional advisories. Tune to local radio and television stations for additional information. An evacuation may be necessary. Hurricane Warning -- A hurricane will hit land within 24 hours. Take precautions at once. If advised, evacuate immediately. Survey your facility. Make plans to protect outside equipment and structures. Consider the need for alternate power sources such as generators or gasoline-powered pumps Prepare to move records, computers and other items within your facility or to another location. Hazards: Tornadoes Tornadoes are incredibly violent local storms that extend to the ground with whirling winds that can reach 300 mph. Spawned from powerful thunderstorms, tornadoes can uproot trees and buildings and turn harmless objects into deadly missiles in a matter of seconds. Damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide and 50 miles long. They can occur in any state but occur more frequently in the Midwest, Southeast and Southwest. They occur with little or no warning. Planning Considerations The following are considerations when planning for tornadoes: Ask your local emergency management office about the community's tornado warning system. Tornado Watch -- Tornadoes are likely. Be ready to take shelter. Stay tuned to radio and television stations for additional information.

15 Emergency Procedures 15 Tornado Warning -- A tornado has been sighted in the area or is indicated by radar. Take shelter immediately. Establish procedures to inform personnel when tornado warnings are posted. The best protection in a tornado is usually an underground area. If an underground area is not available, consider: > Small interior rooms on the lowest floor and without windows > Hallways on the lowest floor away from doors and windows > Rooms constructed with reinforced concrete, brick or block with no windows > Protected areas away from doors and windows Make plans for evacuating personnel away from lightweight modular offices or mobile home-size buildings. These structures offer no protection from tornadoes. Hazards: Severe Winter Storms Severe winter storms bring heavy snow, ice, strong winds and freezing rain. Winter storms can prevent employees and customers from reaching the facility, leading to a temporary shutdown until roads are cleared. Heavy snow and ice can also cause structural damage and power outages. Planning Considerations Following are considerations for preparing for winter storms: Listen to NOAA Weather Radio and local radio and television stations for weather information: Winter Storm Watch -- Severe winter weather is possible. Winter Storm Warning -- Severe winter weather is expected. Blizzard Warning -- Severe winter weather with sustained winds of at least 35 mph is expected. Traveler's Advisory -- Severe winter conditions may make driving difficult or dangerous. Establish procedures for facility shutdown and early release of employees. Store food, water, blankets, battery-powered radios with extra batteries and other emergency supplies for employees who become stranded at the facility. Provide a backup power source for critical operations. Hazards: Technological Emergencies Technological emergencies include any interruption or loss of a utility service, power source, life support system, information system or equipment needed to keep the business in operation. Planning Considerations Identify all critical operations, including: Utilities including electric power, gas, water, hydraulics, compressed air, municipal and internal sewer systems, wastewater treatment services

16 Planning Considerations (cont) Security systems, elevators, lighting, life support systems, heating, and air conditioning systems. Determine the impact of service disruption. Establish procedures for restoring systems. Determine need for backup systems. Establish preventive maintenance schedules for all systems and equipment.

17 Emergency Responders Emergency Procedures Exhibit A Local Police Department: ( ) - Local Fire Department: ( ) - Communication Vendors Internet Provider: Phone: ( ) - Phone Provider: Phone: ( ) - Staff Notification 1. Phone: ( ) - Hire Quest Support Center Phone: (800) Staff Emergency Contact List Employee Name Phone Number Emergency Contact Phone Number

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19 Emergency Procedures Exhibit B Hire Quest, LLC d/b/a Trojan Labor & Acrux Staffing Emergency Check Receipt Log BRANCH: TIME: DATE: I HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGE that I may accept transportation from a co-employee or independent contractor in order to report to my assigned work site. If I did not accept such transportation, I would be unable to report to the job site assigned, or I would have to use public transportation, if available, or find my own way to the job site. I further acknowledge that my share of the cost of transportation per round trip has been posted, and I agree that his amount is reasonable. Hire Quest, LLC, does not set this fee and will not receive any part of the posted cost of transportation. I acknowledge that the cost of transportation reimbursement amount will be credited in full to the transportation provider. For each day that I accept as described herein, I agree that Hire Quest, LLC, shall deduct from my paycheck the posted cost of transportation and credit this amount to the paycheck of the provider. I acknowledge and agree that this deduction of the transportation reimbursement from my paycheck by Hire Quest, LLC, is reasonable and is an accommodation to me. I ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE that I have a choice to accept the transportation from a provider and pay to him/her as explained herein the posted cost of transportation, or provide my own transportation. With full knowledge that I have such a choice, I have elected to accept transportation from a provider and to reimburse him/her the cost of transportation as described herein. As a result of this election, I WAIVE any right to bring any action against Hire Quest, LLC, under State or Federal law relating to the cost of transportation to a job site. I CERTIFY that I have not had a work-related injury today, and I have not witnessed any injury of a co-worker today. I KNOW that I must report any work-related injuries, no matter how small to Hire Quest, LLC, immediately. I KNOW that the company time of opening is 5:30 a.m. and that it is a condition of employment that I make it known to the Company that I am available for a work assignment. I specifically acknowledge that my failure to make my availability known to the Company in order to secure a new work assignment by 5:30 a.m. the following day may forfeit my rights to unemployment compensation benefits. Work assignments are subject to change based on customer need and the amount of hours may increase or decrease. PRINT EMPLOYEE NAME CHECK # CHECK AMT EMPLOYEE SIGNATURE EMPLOYEE ID #