Why Effective Communication is Critical in an Emergency

You could have the best emergency management procedures in place, but they aren’t worth anything if communication is lacking during a crisis.

Without effective communication, the impact of an emergency can worsen dramatically, putting the lives of those in your facility at risk.

This blog explores the reasons why you need to have successful communication strategies in place for all staff in case of workplace emergencies.

Stops emergencies from escalating

Communication needs to be quick and clear so that the risk of miscommunication is minimal.

When messages aren’t properly understood, lives are put at risk unnecessarily.

People must know where to go and what to do, so that panic and confusion cannot take hold.

With the relevant staff proactively communicating at the beginning of an emergency, they are ensuring that the scenario is contained and everyone in the facility is alerted as quickly as possible.

This helps keep employees and anyone else (such as clients and vendors) within the workplace safe, minimising the risk of harm.

Ensures that accurate messages get to the relevant people

In an emergency, alerting everyone in the facility of the situation and what actions to take is just one part of the communication that must take place for everyone’s safety.

The relevant emergency services must be contacted so that they can arrive at the premises as quickly as possible.

The faster emergency personnel arrive, the faster they can help contain the damage and assist anyone who needs aid.

It’s not enough to speedily alert emergency services, however.

If they are not told the most accurate and detailed information about what has occurred, they will not be fully equipped to handle the crisis.

These kinds of delays risk lives and potentially increase the damage done to the facility.

Makes the auditing process post-incident more efficient

Evaluating (or auditing) post-incident is an important part of the emergency management process.

It allows you to discern what timelines and actions can be optimised and improved upon for future emergencies.

Of course, if the communication during an incident wasn’t at the level it should have been, you do not have the full story and therefore can’t complete an effective evaluation.

An ineffective audit leaves vulnerabilities unexplored, leaving those in the facility at risk of a similar incident with similar results.

To put it simply, effective communication in an emergency saves lives.

Are your communication strategies up to par?

Do your staff know how to get the message across in a crisis?

If not, get in touch with us at Workplace Emergency Management today for a comprehensive assessment of all aspects of your workplace’s emergency response and management procedures.