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Archive for Disaster preparedness

Podcast: Best Practices for Keeping Employees Safe and Healthy

Protecting the health and safety of employees, not just during a crisis but at all times, is a key responsibility of business leaders in both for-profit and nonprofit environments. This means putting practices in place to protect both the physical health and safety of employees, as well as their emotional and mental health.

Tune in to my recent “Inspired Nonprofit Leadership” podcast with Mary Hiland, PhD, president of Hiland Consulting, to learn some tips and best practices for keeping your employees safe and healthy. 

Mary Hiland created Inspired Nonprofit Leadership to provide nonprofit leaders with information, inspiration, and encouragement so they can be even more effective. Throughout the series, guest experts and nonprofit leaders share insights, useful strategies and lessons learned.

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to share my experience as an HR leader and consultant with her listeners.

I hope you’ll tune in.

Developing an Injury and Illness Prevention Program

Employers are responsible for maintaining a safe and healthy work environment for their employees.

In California, every employer with 10 or more employees is required by the state (Cal/OSHA) to have an effective Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP). Additionally, they must record injuries and illnesses on Form 301, and prepare an annual summary on Form 300A of all the work-related injuries and illnesses that occurred during the calendar year. Form 300A must be posted between February 1 and April 30. These forms are available from the State of California Department of Industrial Relations. Records need to be maintained in your files for 5 years.

The Injury and Illness Prevention Program must be a written plan that includes policies and procedures on topics such as safe work practices, periodic inspections, what to do in the event of an accident, safety training, and recordkeeping. There are 8 specific elements that must be included in the plan:

  1. Management commitment/assignment of responsibilities
  2. Safety communications systems with employees
  3. System for ensuring employee compliance with safe work practices
  4. Scheduled inspections /evaluation system
  5. Accident investigation
  6. Procedures for correcting unsafe/unhealthy conditions
  7. Safety and health training and instruction
  8. Recordkeeping and documentation

Review your IIPP at least annually to ensure that policies and procedures are up to date and that it includes any newer situations, e.g., active shooter, that you need to be prepared for. FEMA has some helpful information on what to do in the event of an earthquake, fire, or active shooter.

Additionally, to be effective your IIPP must:

  • Fully involve all employees, supervisors and management
  • Identify the specific workplace hazards that employees are exposed to
  • Correct identified hazards in an appropriate and timely manner
  • Provide effective training

If you employ fewer than 10 employees, you can:

  • Communicate to and instruct employees orally about safe work practices
  • Choose to maintain records of inspections only until the hazards identified are corrected
  • Document training by maintaining an instruction log that you provide to a new employee or to an employee reassigned to new duties

Seasonal employers can use a model program designed specifically for seasonal employers, available at the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) website. Additional IIPP requirements apply to specific industries, such as the construction and petroleum industries.

Cal/OSHA has created a Microsoft Excel workbook that contains Form 300, Form 301, and Form 300A. The forms are linked, so the totals on Form 301 are automatically copied to Form 300A. This facilitates the process of recording illnesses and injuries and transferring them to the yearly summary.

If you need help developing your IIPP plan, please contact me at Michelle@connecttohr.com.

If a Disaster Strikes, Is Your Business Prepared?

Disaster-1The disasters that have played out far and near over the past few months should be a big wake up call to businesses and individuals alike – YOU NEED TO BE PREPARED. Every individual should have an emergency kit for their home and car, and every business should have an Emergency Action Plan. In California, every employer with 10 or more employees is also required by the state to have an effective Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP).

Here are some tips to get started on your Emergency Action Plan.

Identify potential problems. What are the potential natural disasters in your area? In California we most often think about earthquakes, but as we’ve seen recently, some areas are also at risk for floods or wildfires. Also consider other situations that might occur, either man-made or accidental – chemical spill, fire, violent acts.

Create and practice an emergency response plan. Map out what employees and leaders should do in the event of a specific emergency. Be sure that everyone is familiar with the plan – use posters, team meetings, all-hands meetings to communicate the plan – and practice it. Have a periodic fire drill, earthquake drill, safety drill.  Be sure everyone knows where the exits are, and where to hide if necessary. How will you communicate if power is lost? OSHA has some additional tips for this plan.

Create a crisis communications plan. Assign someone to be the spokesperson with first responders and the media. Determine how you will contact employees, their families, your customers.

Create a business continuity plan. Ensure that all financial documents and other key business data are backed up and safely and securely stored offsite or in the cloud. Plan how you will continue to operate during or post-disaster. Also consider how you will respond if one of your key suppliers is struck by disaster. Prepare for all contingencies.

Put together a disaster survival kit. When a disaster strikes, your business could be without electricity, water, Internet and other services for days. Keep emergency supplies on hand, and advise employees to have their own emergency kits. FEMA and the American Red Cross offer checklists as to what should be included.

Being prepared will help save your business and save lives.

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