An Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is required by OSHA for most workplaces — but more importantly, it's the difference between an organized response and a chaotic one when something goes wrong. Here's what your plan must include to truly protect your people.
What Is an Emergency Action Plan?
An EAP is a written document that outlines the procedures your organization will follow in the event of an emergency. OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.38 requires EAPs for most businesses with more than 10 employees. But the legal requirement is the floor, not the ceiling. A truly effective EAP goes far beyond compliance.
The Core Components Every EAP Must Have
1. Evacuation Procedures and Floor Plans
Your plan must include clearly marked evacuation routes for every area of your facility, designated assembly points outside the building, and procedures for accounting for all employees after evacuation. Maps should be posted visibly throughout the facility — not just included in a binder.
2. Procedures for Employees Who Remain to Perform Critical Operations
Some emergencies require select personnel to shut down critical systems before evacuating. Your plan needs to clearly identify who those people are, what they're responsible for, and at what point they must leave regardless.
3. Emergency Notification and Communication Procedures
How will employees be alerted? How will leadership be notified? How will you communicate with first responders? Your plan should spell out every communication chain — including what happens when the primary contact is unavailable.
4. Designated Emergency Roles
Every EAP should identify specific roles: an Emergency Coordinator, Floor Wardens, a First Aid responder, and a designated spokesperson for media and family inquiries. Each role needs a trained primary person and a trained backup.
5. Procedures for Employees with Disabilities or Special Needs
Your plan must address how employees and visitors with mobility, visual, hearing, or cognitive limitations will be assisted during an evacuation. Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) may be needed for specific individuals.
6. Shelter-in-Place Procedures
Not every emergency requires evacuation. Severe weather, hazmat incidents, and active threat situations may require shelter-in-place. Your plan should identify designated shelter locations and specific procedures for each scenario type.
Rhode Island specific: Given our coastal location, Rhode Island businesses should also address hurricane and flooding scenarios in their EAPs — including flood-prone facility-specific procedures and coordination with the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA).
7. Emergency Contact Lists
Your plan should include current contact information for local fire, police, and EMS; your utility providers; your insurance carrier; key leadership; and any regulatory agencies relevant to your industry. These lists must be reviewed and updated at least annually.
8. Training and Drill Requirements
An EAP without a training program is just a document. Your plan should specify how often training occurs, who delivers it, what drills will be conducted, and how after-action reviews will be handled.
Common EAP Mistakes to Avoid
- Writing a plan that references outdated staff, systems, or floor layouts
- Creating a plan that only leadership knows about
- Having a plan that covers evacuation but ignores active threat, shelter-in-place, or medical emergencies
- Forgetting to plan for after-hours or skeleton-crew scenarios
- Never testing the plan through drills or exercises
Getting Started
If you don't have an EAP, or if your current plan is outdated, the best first step is an honest gap assessment — a review of what you have (or don't have) against what you need. That's exactly what we do at Anchor Preparedness Group.
Get a Professional EAP Review — Free Consultation
We'll assess your current emergency planning posture and tell you exactly what needs to be done. No jargon, no pressure.
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