Evacuation Emergency Procedures 

• On hearing the fire alarm, employees should immediately prepare to leave the building by securing confidential materials and valuables, switching off computers, and collecting personal belongings. 
• Leave the building using the nearest exit. Caution: if you encounter smoke in a stairway, use an alternate exit. 
• All doors should be closed but not locked.
• Elevators should not be used. 
• Employees are to walk quickly and calmly to the designated assembly area. Employees can find the designated assembly area in the janitor log book. 
• Once outside, employees must report for attendance. All employees and visitors must be accounted for, ensuring that everyone is safe.

Fire/Smoke Emergency Procedures

• Alert employees of the fire and its locations. Activate the nearest fire alarm. Contact the local fire department by calling 911. Ensure someone is assigned to guide the response personnel directly to the fire.
• Contain the fire if it is relatively safe to do so. Close all doors, fire doors, and windows near the fire. Shut off all fans, ventilators, and air conditioners.
• Extinguish the fire if it is small. Obtain the nearest fire extinguisher and pull pin. Aim the fire extinguisher nozzle low, at the base of the fire, depress the trigger, and move nozzle slowly upward with a sweeping motion. 
  • Do not aim nozzle at the middle or top of the flames.
  • If fire cannot be extinguished, evacuate the building immediately. 
  • Keep low to the floor to avoid inhaling smoke.

Natural Disaster/Severe Weather/Earthquake Emergency Procedures

• Account for all employees and visitors, ensuring that everyone is safe inside the facility. Close all windows and close all curtains and/or blinds. 
• Instruct all employees and visitors to move away from windows.
• If necessary, gather employees and visitors into bathrooms and other enclosed areas.
• Listen to all weather reports for updates. Do no leave the enclosed area until the weather warning has been lifted.
• Stay calm and encourage others to stay calm also.

Violent/Threatening Person

• For threats of violence, assaults or other violent incidents contact the local police department by calling 911, if safe to do so. Critical information must be provided including the nature of the incident; whether emergency services are required; whether perpetrator(s) are still present; whether weapons are involved; etc.
• Be prepared to evacuate or secure the building/area.
• Employees are encouraged to report threatening statements or behaviour that gives one reasonable grounds to believe that there is a potential for workplace violence immediately to their Supervisor, who will determine the appropriate response.

Bomb Threat/Suspicious Package

• If the threat is by telephone:
  • Prolong the call – keep the person talking and ask
    • Location of the bomb
    • Time set to explode
    • Record information provided and other details such as:
    • Noise in background
    • Male/Female
    • If speaker has an accent
    • Other differences in voice
    • Estimated age
    • Speaker’s manner (calm, angry, emotional, intoxicated etc.)
• If a suspicious object is found:
  • Place item in a plastic bag and seal it. Place all items in a second bag and seal that bag. 
  • Be prepared to evacuate. Persons should remove all personal belonging (such as briefcases, bags) when evacuating.

Gas Leaks

• Evacuate the building immediately and call the Natural Gas Emergency number (1-877-969-0999). 
• If you smell natural gas:
  • Cease all operations immediately.
  • Sound the fire alarm. (NOTE: Because of its low odour threshold, natural gas is sensed far in advance of high concentrations and pulling the fire alarm will not add to the fire risk already present by static electricity and electrical and mechanical equipment in the building).
  • Do not switch lights on or off.
  • Do not use a phone or a cellular phone inside the building.
  • Immediately evacuate the building via the shortest and safest exit route. Call 911 from the nearest phone in safe area. 
  • If you are trapped during a gas release/emergency, close all doors between you and the gas leak. Stuff the cracks around the doors. Open windows or other exterior openings for fresh air and ventilation. Wait at a safe window and signal/call for help. If there is a phone in the room, call 911 and tell them exactly where you are.

Medical Emergency

• Do not move an injured person unless they are exposed to a life-threatening situation.
• Take any necessary steps to comfort the victim.
• If immediate threat to life of injured employee is imminent, call 911 and notify a certified first aider. 
• Victims who are not in a life threatening situation may elect to be transported to a facility of their choice. Note: the victim should not drive themselves to the emergency facility, transportation will be provided. 
• Employees should follow the Injury and Incident Reporting policy if they become injured on the job.