Evacuation preparedness: managing the safety of employees with disabilities

This article provides information to help employers manage the safety of employees with disabilities during emergency evacuation. Employers in certain industries may have obligations to develop emergency evacuation plans under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) or under state and local law. The OSH Act does not require that all employers have emergency action plans; however, the act does require that employers from particular industries (e.g., metal, chemical, and grain handling facilities) have emergency action plans (1910.38). Many of the accommodations and products mentioned in this article may benefit all employees during evacuation; however, when developing an evacuation plan it is important to consider that employees with motor, sensory, cognitive, psychiatric, or respiratory impairments may have specific accommodation needs.