Increased automation is now critical to any emergency preparedness strategy, says Ray White, Vice President and General Manager, Global Solutions, International. Automation, in addition to streamlining response, also feeds directly into the critical need for failsafe redundancy for all communications and emergency procedures.
Preparation begins with developing an action plan that addresses all the possible emergency scenarios ranging from explosions, fires, chemical spills and gas leaks to weather-related disasters and terrorist attacks, he says.The action plan must assess what hazardous disaster a facility is most vulnerable to. Then the plan must ensure that all necessary safety procedures, resources and employee training are lined up for each scenario.
Also critical is developing employee and management awareness about potential emergencies, and preparing them. Ultimately, regular response procedures testing must be incorporated for any successful emergency-preparedness strategy.
