Details of Specified Emergency Evacuation Procedures

Whether a sudden fire is spreading rapidly in the basement of your workplace, you've received a telephone bomb threat, or a hazardous chemical spill is endangering lives, you need to know how to get yourself and your co-workers safely away. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says there are two basic kinds of emergency response to natural or man-made disasters: shelter-in-place or evacuation. Most workplaces, universities and government jurisdictions have detailed written procedures for various types of emergency evacuation. You and your co-workers should be familiar with the detailed plans for your workplace.

Fire Emergencies

• If a fire cannot be put out quickly using a fire extinguisher, pull the fire alarm. Many alarms are set up to notify emergency responders, according to Oklahoma State University's evacuation plan. If not, dial 911. Notify your building’s designated emergency responders so they can begin evacuation procedures. Alert anyone in immediate danger. If time allows, close doors and windows to block outside air from feeding the fire, the university's plan recommends.

  Vacate using stairs, staying as low to the ground as possible if smoke begins to fill the stairwell. Do not use elevators. They may stall and the elevator shaft could fill with smoke, suffocating you, the Seattle Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Division warns. If you have the elevator keys, use them to return the cars to the main floor with doors locked open, so arriving emergency responders can immediately know that no one is trapped in them.

Chemical Spill Emergencies

• If a chemical spill occurs in your building, evacuate your co-workers immediately. If possible, close all windows and the door of the room where the spill occurred. This will help to isolate any volatile gases that have been released, says the Northern Illinois University emergency plan. Alert workers in surrounding labs, and use the fire exits to evacuate the building.

  If the spill is toxic and victims are unconscious in the spill area, you may try to rescue them only if you have respirators and protective clothing, the university's plan says. Once victims are outside, remove contaminated clothing and flush their skin with water for at least 15 minutes, Princeton University's emergency plan says.

  If the spilled material is highly flammable, warn bystanders not to ignite any flames, as an explosion may occur, the university's emergency plan warns. The plan recommends blocking of drains and other paths by which the spilled chemical might escape to the environment, and that spill socks and absorbents be used to contain the spill.

Bomb Threat Emergencies

• If you receive a bomb threat by phone, write down everything the caller tells you. Include notes about background noises and anything else you notice that you think may be useful to the police, says the Fairfax, Virginia, emergency response plan. If you receive a suspect package, avoid touching it if possible, so you don't disturb any fingerprints. Move everyone away from the suspect object and begin evacuation. Call 911 as soon as possible, but make the call from a ground-line phone. According to Southern Connecticut State University, calls made from cell phones, or any other use of electronic devices, can set off a bomb if it is attuned to their frequencies.

  After calling 911, employees designated in your workplace plan as emergency responders for your building will move to their assigned positions and begin searching for any suspicious packages. Southern Connecticut State University's emergency plan recommends opening all windows and doors to dispel the blast force of a bomb, if time permits. At the same time, assistants to the responders will calmly begin evacuating the building, using a route cleared as bomb-free by the building responders, recommends the Fairfax, Virginia, emergency response plan.

  Once outside, do not go to your car, parking lot or garage, as a vehicle bomb also may have been planted, the city's plan warns. Stay outside and away from the building until emergency personnel or police tell you it is safe to return.