Emergency Plan Manual

AHCA Form 3110-1022, Rev March 2013 Rule 59A-8.027, Florida Administrative Code http://ahca.myflorida.com/MCHQ/Health_Facility_Regulation/Home_Care/HHA/index.shtml#other . Page 35 of 54 Employee Protection Plan: (Addendum to the Agency’s Emergency Plan) In the event of an emergency, healthcare workers, firefighters, police, emergency service workers and other first responders will be on the front lines of responding to this outbreak. If these workers are expected to answer the call, if and when an emergency occurs, it is imperative that the necessary resources and equipment are immediately available to protect them from the emergency. Just like having a working smoke detector in your home, having emergency supply kits will put the tools you may need at your fingertips. Be prepared to improvise and use what you have on hand to make it on your own for at least three days , maybe longer. While there are many things that might make you more comfortable, think first about fresh water , food and clean air . Remember to include, and periodically rotate, medications you may take every day such as insulin and heart medicine. Plan to store items in an easy-to-carry bag, such as a shopping bag, backpack or duffle bag. Consider two kits . In one, put everything you will need to stay where you are and make it on your own. The other should be a lightweight, smaller version you can take with you if you have to get away. Many potential terrorist attacks could send tiny microscopic “junk” into the air. For example, an explosion may release very fine debris that can cause lung damage. A biological attack may release germs that can make you sick if inhaled or absorbed through open cuts. Many of these agents can only hurt you if they get into your body, so think about creating a barrier between yourself and any contamination, due to your position as Health Care Employee maybe you will need to be in the street help others and doing your job. Be prepared to improvise with what you have on hand to protect your nose, mouth, eyes and cuts in your skin. Anything that fits snugly over your nose and mouth, including any dense- weave cotton material, can help filter contaminants in an emergency. It is very important that most of the air you breathe comes through the mask or cloth, not around it. Given the different types of attacks that could occur, there is not one solution for masking. For instance, simple cloth face masks can filter some of the airborne “junk” or germs you might breathe into your body, but will probably not protect you from chemical gases. Still, something over your nose and mouth in an emergency is better than nothing. Develop a Family Communications Plan Your family may not be together when disaster strikes, maybe you are working, so plan how you will contact one another and review what you will do in different situations. Consider a plan where each family member calls, or e-mails, the same friend or relative in the event of an emergency. It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members. Be sure each person knows the phone number and has coins or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact. You may have trouble getting through, or the phone system may be down altogether, but be patient. Staying Put and Shelter-in-Place Whatever you are at home, work or elsewhere, there may be situations when it’s simply best to stay where you are and avoid any uncertainty outside. In fact, there are some circumstances where staying put and creating a barrier between yourself and potentially contaminated air outside, a process known as sheltering-in-place and sealing the room, is a matter of survival. Plan in advance where you will take shelter in this kind of an emergency. As your Employer we will make sure that our workplace has a building evacuation plan that is regularly practiced. We will take a critical look at our heating ventilation and air-conditioning system to determine if it is secure or if it could be feasibly upgraded to better filter potential contaminants. We will teach you, and others, know how to turn off the system if necessary. If any employee can’t go home, we will make sure we have appropriate supplies on hand. Action plan: 1) Maintain/Practice evacuation plan for office’s employees. 2) Regularly check up of our ventilation, and air conditioning system, upgrade to a better filter if applicable 3) Maintain in place during emergency warnings some minimal supplies like water, conserved food, flashlights 4) Monitor the situation after the emergency treat to safely return to our healthcare activities 5) Assist to any employee and their family, affected for the emergency situation 6) Encouraged to use protective equipment like mask under emergency situation 7) Maintain an Employee emergency contact information before, during and after emergency situation 8) Maintain an active Training and In-services plan for Emergency Situations, available to all of our employees Some of the things you can do to prepare for the unexpected, such as making an emergency supply kit and developing a family communications plan, are the same for both a natural or man-made emergency. However, there are important Angel Home Care Services, Inc.