Emergency Escape and Rescue Solutions

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) an estimated 65 000 people died due to technological events between 2009-2018¹. In most cases, these events involved a chemical incident such as the uncontrolled release of a toxic substance that could cause harm to the environment and people alike.

It is fair to say that some workplaces are more dangerous than others. Nevertheless, workplaces need to ensure that every employee returns home safe and sound at the end of the day.

Protecting human life and health is fundamental to our operations at Dräger: Whether developing a company emergency plan, training your employees or providing them with the necessary equipment. This is why we are part of the global Vision Zero Initiative.

You cannot prevent the unpredictable, but you can manage it. Here is how:

Be sure that a suitable emergency escape plan is in place. Examine your existing emergency preparedness plan to ensure it matches the current conditions and hazards. Check that both are complete and up to date.

Review the situation of your emergency and escape equipment. Validate whether escape respirators, masks, hoods and other PPE are state-of-the-art and keep yourself informed about the latest emergency escape breathing devices.

During an emergency, people are stressed and can panic. As HSE manager, you need to know the whereabouts of your workers, that everyone is moving to their designated “muster points”, and that no one is left behind.

Even though everyone knows the emergency escape plan and has been adequately trained, their awareness of dangerous situations can dwindle over time. Therefore, for your workers’ safety, it becomes vital to strengthen your employees’ attention for being constantly aware of occurring risks and the correct use of the escape device.

Finally, examine whether there are clear responsibilities for the emergency and if everyone knows their respective duties.