Safety is a constant public concern. Anything can happen anytime and anywhere, whether it’s on the road, your workplace, at someone’s school, at a public event, or even at home. We never know what’s going to happen in our day-to-day lives. Accidents and other emergencies are always unexpected, and they often come suddenly. Most of the time, people aren’t prepared to deal with the mishap. What needs to be addressed is not only how to avoid such occurrences from happening but also how to properly respond if such an event comes their way. Here are a few emergency response pointers that everyone in your company should keep in mind:
Stay Composed
Being involved in an emergency can be traumatic. You can’t help it if people outside of your own influence react in a violent way when it happens. While the main idea is to avoid these situations altogether, you need to be prepared if faced with such. It’s easier said than done, but staying calm is one of the keys to a proper response. This is not saying that you need to do nothing, but rather you should think logically when trouble starts. You also need to resist overcompensating by trying to get attention and spurting out unnecessary words. Stay away from getting trapped in the blame game and move to get others involved to work with you in getting out of your predicament. Remember that lives are always important, and you can talk later once you’ve recovered. You and your employees can learn this from corporate active shooter training courses and other related emergency response lessons.
Know Whom to Contact
While knowledge of first aid is important for any emergency situation, its purpose is only to prevent further danger and not to be a permanent solution. Make sure that everyone in the company also has a list of important contact numbers such as the nearest police station, a hospital, and even your company lawyer and insurance company. You should also have a ready set of actions to take in case someone needs assistance. Even the slightest mistake and delay can spell more trouble, so make sure that the right people are notified right away. It’s understandable that you’d feel afraid or confused, and that’s why help is only one phone call away.
Stay Away from Confrontation
Aside from feeling fear, people involved in mishaps tend to become aggressive. This kind of attitude has earned people more trouble than they can handle, and sometimes it even cost them their lives. That said, don’t let your temper get the best of you. Instead, try to talk and work it out with everybody involved. It’s only logical that you get angry, but remember that most of you never wanted it to happen in the first place. Also, proper communication helps you resolve the matter much faster.
Many situations are avoidable, so it’s still best to try and prevent them. But one might pop up near your workplace despite taking measures. Should anything happen to you in the most inconvenient of times, remember to keep these pieces of advice in mind and maintain an open and clear mind to the people around you.
