A good approach to healthy and safe working is important for your employees. To get it right, you need to do several things, including appointing one or more emergency response officers.
What does an emergency response officer do?
An emergency response officer comes into action when an accident or incident occurs. This can be a fire in your company, for example, or someone becoming unwell. The emergency response officer calls in emergency services, assists in evacuating the premises and can help extinguish a fire. An emergency response officer can also provide simple assistance to someone who has become unwell or injured. Furthermore, an emergency response officer organises evacuation drills so employees know the escape routes in case of an emergency.
An emergency response officer is not a professional emergency responder. The emergency response officer must not put themselves in danger when helping colleagues.
Under the Working Conditions Act (Arbowet), an organisation must have emergency response officers in its workforce. How many depends on the size of the workforce and the risks at the company. Emergency response officers must take refresher training every year. If your company's emergency response is not in order, the Labour Authority may take action. You may even be fined.
Question and answer
An emergency response officer is an employee trained to bring employees and customers to safety in case of an emergency. An emergency response officer alerts emergency services, has learned how to evacuate premises and can provide first aid in the event of an accident. For example, an emergency response officer can resuscitate people and bandage wounds.
Every employer is required to organise an adequate internal emergency response service and appoint one or more emergency response officers. The number of emergency response officers depends on the size of the company and the risks that exist there.
Have emergency response officers attend refresher courses about once a year.
Have emergency response officers organise an evacuation drill once a year.
Spread emergency response officers as much as possible across the different sites/departments in the company so that they can act quickly in case of an emergency.
It is advisable to appoint employees who are on site the most as emergency response officers.
Do not force employees to become emergency response officers; voluntary employee involvement is usually more effective.
