All office buildings and places of business need to have emergency plans in case something dangerous occurs. These hazards can come in the form of a natural emergency such as a fire, or as biohazards created by certain types of waste. Medical offices need to have procedures in place to protect against these kinds of dangers. This includes using emergency lights to help patients out of the building and proper storage for medical waste.
Proper Storage
For starters, you should make sure that everybody who works in and about your building is trained in the proper disposal of hazardous waste. The definition of such waste can include gasoline-soaked rags, discarded chemicals, and certain types of medical waste. Make sure to use plastic drums for the disposal of anything that is potentially corrosive; regular trash barrels simply will not do for these matters. Plastic barrels are generally coated with polyethylene, ensuring that whatever is placed inside the container stays removed from the outside environment. These poly drums can be closed with a specially-fitted seal, which keeps harmful vapors out of the air. If you have a plastic drum on site for hazardous materials, make sure that it is clearly marked so new employees can identify it at a glance.
Emergency Lighting
During an emergency, smoke or other sight obstructions can fill an area. This can leave people struggling to find an exit and get to safety. The best way to combat this problem is to make sure that you have emergency lights in your hallways leading toward the exits. These lights shine brightly and only come on when an emergency occurs, allowing people to navigate an area that is thickly covered in smoke. You should have a professional install any emergency lighting equipment and you should make sure to test it on a yearly basis, usually around the time that you test your fire suppression system. That way, you can trust it to work when you need it the most.
Training and Protocols
In addition to storage and proper lighting, training in hazard management is invaluable. Make sure that you have evacuation procedures clearly indicated via signage, so people know beforehand how to get out of the building in case of an emergency. Staff who work on site should be properly trained in all hazardous waste management and should know what sort of hazardous materials they may encounter in the area. Training should be renewed periodically and should be updated with new procedures as protocols become updated. The more knowledgeable the people on site are, the better equipped everybody is to survive an emergency safety.
To avoid hazardous spills and emergency situations, make sure that the employees in a given area are properly trained. Even with proper training, however, it is possible that the unexpected happens. In those cases, having proper storage can minimize the risk of exposure to hazardous materials, and the use of emergency lighting can get those at risk out of an area quickly when necessary.
