Emergency Action Planning

Every staff member, faculty member and student needs to know what to do in an emergency. Familiarize yourself with the following elements of emergency action planning. These steps are part of the university’s overall Information Emergency + Procedures and are integrated within the university Health, Safety and Environment Management System (HSEMS).

Emergency Plans

A Unit Action Plan provides the information needed during an emergency and meets provincial Office of Health and Safety requirements.

An Operational Continuity Plan contains the processes and backups that a department or unit will use to get back to work following an emergency.

Union Action Plan

The Unit Action Plan form will generate a plan supervisors can share, adapt and maintain

• A Unit Action Plan will cover your current workplace, or work unit, not the specific units for which you are responsible.
• It will reflect any emergency plan changes made by the Office of Emergency Management. 
• The plan should be shared within teams and reviewed/updated annually.
• The plan creator will receive a review reminder on the plan anniversary. 
• Enterprise Square tenants should consult the document for that specific location’s emergency procedures. 
• U of A units located in AHS buildings should consult their AHS contacts for emergency codes and procedures in those facilities.

Operational Continuity Plan

The U of A relies on continuity planning to protect institutional activities such as research and learning that could be affected by an emergency. Following procedures will decrease the stress of managing an incident and ensure teams are able to access replacement resources in the safest and most efficient way. Operational continuity plans should be reviewed and updated regularly (at least once a year).

Units should be prepared for the possibility of possible building closures, extended absences, shifts to remote work and additional disruptions. University activities and spaces may need to shut down quickly, regardless of whether they are located on or off campus.

Preparing for a Continuity Plan:

Step 1: Identify critical functions

• Which activities must be prioritized in the event that usual functions cannot be performed?
• Are there upcoming key deadlines?
• Instructors should consult with their faculty leadership and/or the registrar's office regarding preparing to deliver instruction and examinations online.

Step 2: Identify critical staff

• Are there critical functions that can only be carried out by specific staff?
• Should cross-training be considered to minimize the impact of absences?
• Are up-to-date task lists or job fact sheets available?

Step 3: Identify critical supplies and services

• Are there essential materials? This is especially important in environments where a shortage could result in the loss of invaluable research.
• Are there vital products or materials that can be ordered in advance to minimize the likelihood of being without in an emergency?

Step 4: Generate a plan in the Operational Continuity Plan template, or update an existing plan (check with the unit or department planner for access)

Running emergency exercises

Meet with your team to discuss the plan and what each member’s role will be in the event of an emergency. Run exercises where you describe scenarios and ask “What would you do?" to encourage discussion. If you find gaps in the process or understanding, update your Unit Emergency Plan. 

The Office of Emergency Management is available at emergency@ualberta.ca if you would like them to conduct a table-top or simulation exercise for your team. 

Other considerations:

• The Special Event Plan template is intended for short duration events in ad hoc or special spaces, frequently for people who are not workers, staff or faculty in the department.
• Field activity plans are a requirement for field research and some off-campus work. See the Field Research Office for additional resources.
• The First Aid Requirements form is to help you determine the levels and numbers of first aid support people and first aid kits* needed. First Aid and CPR training is available through Campus and Community Recreation. Kits can be purchased at most retail locations (there is not a preferred university supplier). 

* Note: First aid kits do not include Epinephrine (Epi-pens) for anaphylactic allergy or Naloxone to counteract an overdose. Epi-pens are only available by prescription and Naloxone is distributed to individual trained responders (though a trained person is permitted to carry Naloxone). 

Communicating during an emergency

Supervisors must be aware of incidents that could affect their team(s). Ensure team members know to call or text the supervisor should they not be present in the event of an emergency, including an evacuation. 

Communication:

• Best practices for supervisors include:
  • Be sure to have emergency contact information for all team members
  • Communicate using email, phone and Google Chat as needed
  • Research site supervisors: confirm your contact information in the Alberta Research Information Services (ARISE) System is up-to-date
• The university may use the following methods:
  • Email to occupant departments
  • Email to units based on their Operational Continuity Plans
  • Alertus speakers and desktop alerts
  • Email to all staff and students
  • MyUAlberta app notifications
  • Updates posted at uab.ca/emergency

Emergency Evacuation Drills

Evacuation may be required in a building due to a fire, a dangerous hazardous materials release or other reasons. 

Under the Alberta fire code, practices of emergency evacuation procedures, and reviews of these procedures, must be completed on a regular schedule based on the hazard types present and the characteristics of the building. 

• Residents of tall buildings must complete a fire drill every two months. Supervisors will receive reminders from your faculty and departmental safety staff.
• Those not in a laboratory setting, research site or studio will receive an email reminder every 3 months to complete a fire drill. 
• Most workplaces will receive one annual emailed reminder about evacuation procedures.
• Higher hazard buildings that contain laboratories, research sites, shops, studios and kitchens will also have an alarm-based evacuation drill practice, usually in the third week of September.

Review the standard evacuation instructions and customize them for your work area in your Unit Action Plan.

Recovering from an Incident

In the event of an incident, refer to your plans for processes as outlined in the Emergency Plans section of this page. If you do not have a plan, take these steps:

1. Determine which essential assets you have lost and must replace immediately
2. Consult these contacts, in order of precedence, for fixing these issues

Continuity Contacts