CRISIS! How Should Workplaces Prepare for Emergency Situations?

In Finland, workplaces have an obligation to create a rescue plan and independently prepare for various accidents. In addition to the workplace rescue plan, it is advisable to develop a contingency plan for the management and organization of work during emergency situations.

Division of Responsibility

Just as in normal conditions, a clear division of responsibilities is the foundation of good management and smooth work organization during emergency or crisis situations. Successful crisis management requires proactive leadership. The organization must designate individuals who will lead the crisis management efforts and take responsibility for the necessary actions, communication, and division of work.

In large companies, the responsibility for crisis management should be distributed and decentralized across multiple parties, for example, according to business areas. In smaller companies, it may be possible to agree on the division of work in emergency situations more informally and flexibly, but even then, it must be clear who has the overall responsibility for crisis management. Regardless of the company's size, a deputy should be appointed for each key person.

When preparing a contingency plan, it is good to consider questions such as:

·?????? Who will lead the crisis management efforts?

·?????? What is each employee's place, position, and responsibility in the event of a crisis?

·?????? Who can be flexible with working hours and be present at work during unusual times?

·?????? Who can work remotely?

·?????? Who can be on standby and be reachable or on-call if needed?

·?????? Quick response and resource allocation

A crisis situation must be managed immediately. When a crisis occurs, it is not advisable to focus too much on costs; rather, it is better to overestimate the necessary actions than to save time and effort. The faster the response to the crisis, the better. However, decisions must be well-considered and justified.

Because time is critical in a crisis situation, anticipating potential problem scenarios and preparing for them well in advance and in good times is just as important as acting wisely during the crisis itself. Regardless of the company's size, a minimum level of preparedness for different types and severities of emergency situations must be defined.

When preparing a contingency plan, it is advisable to pay attention to questions such as:

·?????? How will the company's operational reliability be ensured, for example, in terms of the availability of raw materials, materials, and energy?

·?????? How will the safety and health of the personnel be ensured?

·?????? How will the continuity of production be ensured if part of the management or employees are missing from the workforce?

·?????? How will the continuity of cooperation with key stakeholders be guaranteed?

·?????? What measures are required to return from a crisis situation to normal conditions?

·?????? Up-to-date, consistent, and honest communication

In crisis situations, up-to-date and consistent communication is crucial. To keep communication consistent and truthful, the entire staff must know who is disseminating information and how the responsible party for communication can be reached.

The staff must have the opportunity to ask questions, get additional information, and participate in discussions. All employee groups must be quickly and clearly informed about the causes and consequences of the crisis. In a large organization, communication should be tailored to the target audience, especially regarding actions required from specific employee groups.

Only the truth about what is known should be communicated to both internal staff and external parties, such as partners, customers, or employees' families. It should also be clearly communicated what is not yet known.

Communication should not rely on a single channel. If the usual communication channel that reaches all employees fails, there must be a second or even a third option, not forgetting physical meeting points, which should be known to everyone.

Involving and Engaging Staff

Although the responsibility for crisis management lies with the management, it is worth listening to the employees. This does not mean improvisation or deviation from plans. Even in emergencies, rules and regulations designed for normal conditions, such as those related to occupational safety, must be adhered to.

Genuinely listening to employees is not just about informing them about work processes but about involving them. From the staff's perspective, involvement means being part of and having a voice in the workplace's decision-making. Involvement means being heard and being part of both normal conditions and crisis situations.

Even small suggestions for improvements related to work and its organization can be important in crisis preparedness. Just having an initiative system is not enough. A good initiative should be discussed, taken up for development, and implemented.

It is important to reward those who make and develop successful initiatives fairly and equally. A fair initiative system supports an attitude and culture where everyone takes responsibility for developing a safer work environment.

Crisis Preparedness is a Continuous Process

The foundation for good crisis management and preparedness is built during normal conditions. Preparedness must be part of the organization's regular safety maintenance and development culture. In a crisis, there is no time or resources to reinvent the wheel, even if the emergency situation requires creative solutions and new learning.

Preparing for crises is a process that is never finished. The contingency plan must be regularly updated, and if necessary, staff must be trained or exercises related to the contingency plan must be organized. In a crisis, the cornerstone of a resilient organization, one that is flexible and adaptive, is a staff committed to a safety culture based on proactive and continuous preparedness.

The article is based on a project conducted at the Work Research Centre , titled Teollisuusty?ntekij?iden toiminta kriisitilanteissa?– joustavuuden ehdot ja k?yt?nn?t [Industrial Workers’ Actions in Crisis Situations – Conditions and Practices of Flexibility], which was funded by Ty?suojelurahasto [The Finnish Work Environment Fund].

https://www.tuni.fi/en/research/industrial-workers-activity-crisis-situations-conditions-and-practices-flexibility

https://www.tuni.fi/fi/tutkimus/teollisuustyontekijoiden-toiminta-kriisitilanteissa-joustavuuden-ehdot-ja-kaytannot