OSHA FINES

New OSHA regulations state that an organization can be held liable for each employee not property trained, with fines ranging from $5,000 to $70,000 for each untrained employee.

FARMER'S INSURANCE STATES:

An estimated 90 percent of all small businesses do not have a compliant emergency action plan.

NO EAP, NO BUSINESS

43 percent of businesses that experience a disaster and have no emergency plan in place never reopen, according to the Association of Small Business Development Center. For those businesses that do reopen, only 29 percent still operate two years later.

A BUDGET EMERGENCY KIT

A home emergency safety kit can be started by gathering items already found at home and putting them into a bin, including canned food, bottled water, bandages, flashlights and batteries.

GOT WATER?

Your disaster supply kit should have a three-day supply of food and water, including one gallon of water per person, per day.

PLANNING FOR PETS

It is important to include provisions for your pet in the case of a disaster. Your disaster supply kit should have at least three days of food and bottled water for your pet, medications and a cage in case you need to move your animal.

PACK HEALTHY

Your emergency preparedness kit should include low-sodium canned foods. High protein canned foods like canned chicken, canned tuna, salmon are excellent choices.

The importance of an emergency action plan and subsequent training is vital. Especially since OSHA has recently begun cracking down on organizations that fail to comply with federal safety training requirements.

New OSHA regulations state that an organization can be held liable for each employee not properly trained in emergency protocol, with fines ranging from $5,000 to $70,000 for each untrained employee. Previously OSHA would allocate one fine per organization for any number of employees that were non-compliant with federal emergency regulations.

Yet many organizations do not have an emergency action plan, including an estimated 90 percent of all small businesses, according to Farmer’s Insurance.

Non-compliance of federal and state regulations can also expose an organization to costly litigation. Three years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, workers that cleared debris from the World Trade Center filed a billion dollar class action lawsuit, alleging public and private defendants violated health safety guidelines.

A proper emergency action plan can not only save your business money, but ultimately save your entire business. For businesses that experience a disaster and have no emergency plan in place, 43 percent never reopen, according to the Association of Small Business Development Centers. For those businesses that do reopen, only 29 percent still operate two years later.

When you set your clock forward for daylight savings time on March 9, did you check your Emergency Safety/Preparedness Kit? The American Public Health Association’s campaign this year, Set Your Clocks/Check Your Stocks, is geared toward reminding people about the importance of an emergency preparedness kit in the home and office. Every home and office should have an emergency prepardness kit with food, water, a first aid kit, radio, batteries and many other items. If you already have a kit, it is important to periodically check the supplies to see if anything is missing or expired. For more information and a emergency supply checklist, visit: http://www.getreadyforflu.org/clocksstocks/