You're managing conflicting emergency procedures in FM. How do you prioritize safety protocols effectively?

the risk assessment process here is key. Getting to a reasonably practicable result is sometimes just not enough, with regards emergency response. Having a real team approach, operations, engineering and indeed the emergency services are the most viable way to reach a solid solution with processes, actions and information available that will have best outcome possible should the plan need activation. An in depth risk analysis and assessment thereafter are really key here and involving the key stakeholders holders in the process of assessing, testing and re-assessing will be vital to controlling the potential outcomes.

These 10 steps can be helpful: Step 1: Understand the importance of emergency response planning. Step 2: Brainstorm a list of potential risks, hazards and threat scenarios. Step 3: Collect contact information from local emergency personnel. Step 4: Assess your organization’s resources. Step 5: Create accurate egress plans and evacuation routes. Step 6: Create an emergency communications plan. Step 7: State required actions in the event of an emergency. Step 8: Disperse responsibilities following the disaster event. Step 9: Train and educate internal personnel on your emergency response plan. Step 10: Test and revise your emergency response plan.

The communication phase then is the next key step. Form warning and informing the local community and those neighbours who will be most impacted by an event, to the local councils and boroughs and greater community who can be impacted from significant onsite events. Keeping people informed is vital, the latest updates, changes and process improvements that can both positively and negatively impact the size and magnitude of any potential onsite events. Clear unambiguous messages are then key, In the case of an event METHANE & PEAR messages set a recognisable structure for detailing and sharing key points of information in an emergency situtation

procedures thus must be clear trained and understood. Not just kept in a lovely emergency response file but worked examples, that are understood, supported and crafted by all key stakeholders and taking a view of the human factors elements that all serve to ensure that the emergency situation can be avoided through well crafted, understood and available procedures available at hand should the emergency situation present itself.

training is key element to have emergency scenarios tested in real live play, exercised in real-time and exposing teams to those real world pressures that come when the reality is presented. Test, test, test is the key; I suppose the old army terminology comes into play here, train hard fight easy. Not easy however when emergency response really isn’t the day to day job. So regular table top exercises playing out the assessed potential emergencies and further more ensuring that the initiating factors are controlled, appreciated and understood by all.

The decision making process must be clear based on fact and supported fully by all in the emergency response team. This often won’t be the most senior person in the organisation. Thus good records of the decision making process must be kept. Regular time out sessions to reflect and align on the key points that are known and where grey areas exist pushing to get the best view possible to help drive the decision making process. Keeping a clear head and having a well drilled team fulfill the key information gathering roles will help paint this picture and allow for fact based decisions to be made.