Emergency Preparedness Testing

An organisation can’t prevent a disaster from occurring, but it can ensure that it is well prepared. Integral to its success in doing so are stringent procedures, training of key staff to  understand their roles, and reinforcing their knowledge of how to deal effectively with any incident likely to cause significant harm to the site and/or its people.

An organisation should review and test its Emergency Preparedness Plan regularly (i.e. at least once a year, or whenever there are changes within the organisation that could  compromise the effectiveness of the plan), to evaluate its effectiveness and to ensure that the organisation can mitigate the effects of a major incident.

What are the benefits?

Emergency Preparedness Testing assesses and reports on the effectiveness of the emergency response by the site management team.

It is vital to ensure procedures are in place to prevent, prepare for and mitigate the effects of major incidents, and to ensure all site personnel are effectively trained and aware of their responsibilities in relation to such potential incidents.

The scenario and subsequent assessment bring together those pre-existing conditions that are involved in an emergency situation, allowing the emergency response team and their responses to be observed under controlled conditions.

The testing process is also designed to highlight any deficiencies, gaps or aspects of the plan which do not work in practice. Recommendations for corrective action will be provided, identifying those responsible for addressing any weaknesses that might prevent the plan working in the event of an actual emergency.

Carrying out emergency preparedness testing ensures peace of mind, and reduces the potential impacts of emergencies – reducing risk, ensuring business continuity, and property and life safety.

Any improvements made to the plan will help to reduce risk, ensure safety and compliance and enhance business continuity.

How can the S2 Partnership help?

S2’s Emergency Preparedness Testing has been designed to review the effectiveness of emergency response procedures in order to ensure that legal obligations to prevent and mitigate the effects of a major incident are met. The objective of the emergency scenario is to test, through simulation, the effectiveness of crisis management and other arrangements to deal with an incident likely to cause significant harm to the site and/or its people, and to provide recommendations after the event for corrective action.

Our emergency planning consultant(s) will attend site to test the level of emergency preparedness, focusing on: emergency planning arrangements, initial response to a crisis or disaster, incident control and containment, evacuation, escape or rescue, protection of life, protection of the environment and protection of assets.

Typically, the site visit will be unannounced. On arrival, the consultant will present the emergency scenario brief, which will be simulated during the visit. The assessment will include an examination of site emergency preparedness documentation, a review of the site’s response to the emergency scenario, and questioning of site management and other staff, where appropriate.

The scenario will provide a realistic emergency situation, and whilst the type of emergency can vary widely, it may include: explosive device threats, floods or gas leaks, freak weather or seismic events, major electrical power failure, chemical incidents or civil unrest.

The Emergency Preparedness Test shall consider how the site and its team:

  • plans for such an event;
  • provides essential resources to deal with such an event;
  • trains its staff to deal with such an event;
  • organises its resources to deal with such an event;
  • communicates internally and externally during an event;
  • responds to an event in respect of timeliness and appropriateness;
  • records such an event and the availability of documentation available to provide a suitable evidence trail;
  • performs during such an event in relation to protecting staff, occupiers and property; and
  • manages any re-instatement following such an event.

In follow up, a full report with detailed recommendations will be provided.

Please contact us for more information.