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717 Emergency Action Plans
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Emergency Action Plan (EAP) Basics

Workplace Emergency

A workplace emergency is an unforeseen situation that:

  • threatens your employees, customers, or the public;
  • disrupts or shuts down your operations; or
  • causes physical or environmental damage.

Emergencies may be natural or man-made and include the following:

Emergencies may be the result of natural, technological, or man-made causes including the following examples:

Natural
  • Avalanche
  • Disease
  • Earthquakes
  • Extreme weather
  • Wildfires
  • Flood/Tsunami
  • Hurricane/Tornado
  • Lightning
  • Snow/Ice/Hail
  • Volcanic eruption
Technological
  • Aircraft crash
  • Structure collapse
  • Business interruption
  • Dam/Levee breaks
  • Explosion/Fire
  • Air pollution
  • Fuel/Food shortage
  • Hazard materials release
  • Power/Utility failure
  • Transportation failure
Human
  • Arson
  • Civil unrest
  • Economic downturns
  • Enemy attack
  • General strike
  • Workplace violence
  • Sabotage
  • Terrorism

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

1-1. Business interruption is considered a _____ emergency.