Introduction
Every college should design and implement an effective safety system meant to prevent and manage accidents. It should be based on specific behavioral protocols that have the purpose of minimizing harm to students, staff, equipment, and facility. The plan that will be discussed in the following paragraphs can help universities to pursue this goal and can inform them about how to deal with risks and actual incidents.
General Accident Management Procedure
First of all, it is essential to instruct all students and university staff members about the principles of safety within the facility and how to react to any unfolding and already occurred incident. Thus, the general accident management procedure must include emergency notification, evacuation, central meeting, reporting, and debriefing (Adams State University 10-11; Ateneo de Manila University 4). The first step implies the reporting of an emergency situation to the university authorities and the security personnel, who then validates the accident and secure the building if necessary. Such a preliminary risk management practice as the provision of emergency evacuation plans with all the required contact information to every classroom, laboratory, corridor, et cetera can contribute to a faster evacuation of a facility because even those who are not aware of safety basics can refer to these plans at the time of need. The document should necessarily comprise the indications for assembly points, safe zone locations, and fire alarm pull stations (Greenville College 66). Additionally, it could be appropriate to remind in these plans that in case of a major, disrupting emergency, it is unsafe to use elevators. The availability of this information may substantially minimize the risk of casualties in case of a severe incident.
Central Meeting
The second step implies the evaluation of an emergency level: Level 1 – a small and localized emergency (for example, a minor chemical spill), Level 2 ̶ a major and relatively disrupting incident (for instance, a building fire), and Level 3 ̶ a severe disaster (such as a threat of a terrorist attack) (Ateneo de Manila University 2). The campus location from where the university emergency management group will manage the adverse situation should have all the necessary equipment including multi-line phone, cell phones and chargers for them, large-scale facility maps, FAX machine, printer, flashlights, water, a copy of the accident management plan, et cetera (Adams State University 10-11). Overall, the central meeting of security and administrative personnel is an essential part of the risk management procedure because, through the discussion of current problems and brainstorming of best appropriate solutions, it aims to foster a faster emergency response.
Reporting and Debriefing
During the incident, respondents should collect the impact data from every affected area. Consequently, the collected information is transferred to the designated members of the university emergency management group, documented, and evaluated. The debriefing stage of the management plan is meant to help the university to learn from an occurred emergency and to use the obtained data to prevent the repetition of a similar adverse situation. The data will also be used to improve current risk management activities and provide new instructions to the university staff and students.
Conclusion: Consideration of Alternative Facility Sites
Lastly, depending on the severity of an emergency and its possible consequences, the university should consider the use of alternative classrooms and facility sites to prevent students’ and staff’s exposure to potential post-incident hazards. In order to maintain normal educational activity at the campus, the studies can be relocated during the evaluation and reporting phase. When it is verified that the presence in the location of the occurred incident does not pose any threat to the safety and life of visitors, it can be utilized again.
Works Cited
Adams State University. Incident Management Plan. Web.
Ateneo de Manila University. Campus Emergency Management Plan. 2016, Web.
Greenville College. Crisis Management Plan. 2013, Web.