Consider for a moment all of the flammable materials that are used and stored in a typical collision repair facility. This includes solvents, fuel, oil, gases, and other types of dangerous chemicals. Add to that the type of tools and processes that are used in the facility that can ignite these materials. Welders and torches are a couple examples. Electrical shorts and static electricity can also be possible ignition sources.

A fire in the shop area of a collision repair facility can become out of control very quickly and require immediate evacuation of all employees. A hazardous chemical spill may require an emergency evacuation as well.

11 employees? You need a written plan

Most businesses in the United States are required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to have an emergency action plan (EAP) to facilitate and organize employer and employee actions during an emergency. This is required to be a written document for businesses with eleven or more employees.

The EAP should include instructions for reporting an emergency and evacuation or relocation procedures. This also includes assigning and training a combined group of management and employees to perform specific tasks for potential emergency situations. The members of this group can be called the Emergency Response Team (ERT).

In Canada, a similar emergency plan is required for businesses where 50 or more employees are working in a building at any time. Identifying workplace hazards and developing an EAP is also encouraged in Australia and New Zealand.

Even if your facility is not required by law to have an EAP, developing an evacuation plan and assigning an ERT will help ensure everyone makes it out of the building unharmed should an emergency occur. Below are some considerations for developing an emergency evacuation plan, and how forming an ERT can help ensure a successful and safe evacuation.

Developing an emergency evacuation plan should begin with an evaluation of the facility. Consider the design of the building, potential hazards, and location of exits. Doing an evaluation may also reveal potential hazards that were not recognized previously.

Consider creating an ERT which involves assigning and training a group of employees to handle emergencies and evacuation procedures. It is important to have an adequate number of employees assigned to the ERT for each work shift and to have vacations properly covered. All employees should be informed of who the members of the ERT are and general evacuation procedures. All employees must follow the instructions given by members of the ERT for emergency evacuation plans to be effective.

Posting instructions and maps

Emergency instructions and maps should be posted throughout the facility and be included in new employee training materials (see Figure 1). This may be one or more documents that provide emergency contact numbers, instructions on how to use the building PA system or fire alarms, specific instructions for potential emergency situations, and floor layout maps that show the nearest exit for each posted location.

Emergency contact numbers may include Police, Fire, Ambulance, and local utility companies. In the United States, dialing 911 is sufficient for most emergency response needs.