Why Your Company Needs Emergency Preparedness Supplies

If a catastrophic disaster happens during business hours, employees may be stranded at work for days until roads are cleared for safe driving.  If the office building suffers structural damage, employees may be forced to shelter outdoors at mercy to the elements. Electricity may be out for days to weeks leaving everyone in the dark and causing water treatment plants to shut down. There may also be injuries requiring medical attention when no emergency assistance will be available. Not only do you want to keep your employees safe, but also it is your responsibility to take measures to protect your employees from foreseeable dangers.

Below is a summary of the different categories of emergency preparedness supplies that you should have in your workplace for employees.

Emergency Food

The workplace should have a minimum 3-day supply of emergency food for each employee. This food should not require any cooking or preparation and should be non-thirst provoking.  Quake Kare 72-hour kits for the office include ER Food Bars that are U.S. Coast Guard Approved to maintain freshness for up to 5 years.  

Emergency Water

Your office should also keep a minimum 3-day supply of emergency water per employee.  Our office emergency preparedness kits come with 3-day supply of emergency drinking water which is U.S. Coast guard approved to store safely for up to 5 years.  Ideally you should have a gallon of water per employee for emergency preparedness because running water will likely be unavailable or unsafe. The cheapest and easiest way to store large amounts of water for drinking and sanitation is to store water purification tablets and 55-gallon water storage barrels.

Emergency Shelter Supplies

The possibility exists that your office building(s) may be unsafe to occupy after a major disaster. In the event employees are forced to spend time outside our emergency office preparedness kits also come with the emergency shelter supplies to protect employees from the elements. These supplies include emergency thermal blankets and rain ponchos which offer protection from harsh weather conditions. Additional supplies recommended for storage include a canopy shelter, body warmer pads, and tube tents.

Emergency Lights

Following a natural or man-made disaster your office will likely be without electricity.  Emergency lighting is necessary to help employees navigate around dangerous debris in the dark. Don’t rely solely on battery powered devices.  Batteries have a limited shelf-life and should be regularly replaced.  Quake Kare deluxe office emergency preparedness kits come equipped with a solar/hand crank radio and flashlight that does not require batteries.  The kits also include 12-hour emergency lightsticks and candles.

Emergency Radios

Emergency radios ensure your employees will receive life-saving updates and evacuation notices.  Due to the limitations of battery use, we recommend an AM/FM solar and hand crank powered radio with built-in flashlight.  

Emergency First Aid Kits

Employees may become injured as they evacuate the building or campus due to dangerous debris. Business need to have available comprehensive emergency first aid kits that can easily be mobilized.  We include a basic first aid kit in our Office Survival Kits and recommend the Trauma Central Supply Kit as an additional purchase which contains the appropriate supplies to treat up to 75 people for injuries and is ideally suited for both school and office emergency preparedness.

Emergency Search & Rescue Supplies

Natural disasters create dangerous amounts of broken glass and other debris that could trap employees. It may take Emergency Personnel hours to days to arrive with Search & Rescue equipment.  Your employees might be forced to dig survivors out of debris.  To aid in search & Rescue efforts, Quake Kare Office Emergency Preparedness Kits include leather-palmed work gloves, vinyl gloves, and dust masks for protection from dangerous debris. We also highly recommend the additional purchase of our emergency search and rescue kit which comes with OSHA approved hard hats, safety goggles, emergency rescue pry/crow bars, and much more.

Emergency Sanitation Supplies

Plumbing and running water will likely be unavailable after a major disaster and employees may be sharing shelter outdoors. Because it is important to avoid employees getting sick during a time of disaster, your office needs to have emergency sanitation supplies to maintain sanitary conditions. Our office emergency preparedness kits packaged in 5 gallon containers are designed to be used for emergency sanitation. They also include the necessary toilet bags, toilet chemicals, toilet seat cover and lid, and tissue packs for each employee.