Types of response
Depending on the type of incident or event, the actions to protect and secure people will vary. These may include:
Preservation of life
Preservation of life is the priority. If an incident occurs that may pose a threat to the lives of employees and workers, the IMG and leaders will consider:
- moving people to a place of safety
- casualty management:
- ensuring people are treated
- managing hospital transfers
- providing hospital liaison
- accounting for people's whereabouts and wellbeing
- identifying and managing fatalities, including liaison with the employees emergency contact at the right time
- providing immediate shelter, welfare and support for survivors
- providing immediate advice on hazards, including to the local community
- ensuring a possible crime scene is preserved
- providing mental health support following a traumatic event
- signposting to the appropriate wellbeing support network
Evacuation
We may need to consider providing a safe location for:
- employees
- visitors
- community members
An evacuation occurs when a disruptive event poses a threat to a person's safety, and it is necessary to move them to a safe place. An evacuation could:
- be a planned response to a perceived threat
- occur in the wake of an actual disruptive event
We may utilise our fire marshals in an evacuation process. They will shepherd people from their area of responsibility to an evacuation route. They will prevent people from entering a building that has been deemed unsafe. More details of specific actions are in each site's evacuation plans.
All employees using smarter working hubs will be required to complete fire marshal training to enable them to take on the duties of a fire marshal if necessary.
Reception centre
The emergency planning and business continuity service may need to establish a reception centre. It allows families to be reunited with survivors of a major incident if:
- an evacuation has taken place
- there has been a risk to life
They will strictly control access and the distribution of information from and to the centre.
If a reception centre is required, this can be actioned by the emergency planning and business continuity service 24/7. Contact details can be found in local business continuity plans.
Shelter in place
If going outside presents a greater risk than remaining inside, leaders will identify where employees should stay until it is safe. This may include areas away from windows. Managers will consider:
- how to effectively communicate with employees in shelter
- how to maintain security and provision of facilities
For more details, there is mandatory 'Prevent' training on Lincs2Learn.
Working with emergency services
We will work with emergency services to keep them safe when attending one of our sites to deal with an incident. The IMG will nominate liaison personnel to liaise with the emergency services. They will provide:
- information as and when required
- facilities and services
Most public buildings have a Gerda box outside to provide emergency services with incident-specific information. If a commissionaire or receptionist is in post at the site, they will be the point of contact for the emergency services. Alternatively, the person who makes the emergency call should wait at the front of the building or site to greet them.
Accounting for people
In the event of an incident at a particular site or building, confirming people's safety is a priority. It may not be a simple task. We will ensure that resources are available to carry out this activity.
In the first instance, line managers must account for their people. They will talk to designated contacts to provide up-to-date information to emergency services and other relevant personnel.
We have a diverse workforce dispersed across the county. Our workforce comprises:
- employees
- contractors
- third-party providers
Up-to-date records are essential to ensure that we can accurately account for people. It includes those working from home or out in the community. We need accurate knowledge of where people are and how to communicate with them, such as:
- information about any incident or event
- how we are managing issues
- the impact on individuals and their continued work
Service managers must ensure that all staff update their personal data on Business World.
Managing injuries and fatalities
We may need first aiders to provide initial care for injured people following a major incident. We may provide this support at an evacuation site until emergency services arrive.
Managers must undertake risk assessments to ensure that the right number of trained first aiders are available. This depends on the number of employees that may potentially be in a building. Trained first-aiders should renew their competency at least every three years. Details of first-aiders can be found on the intranet.