Employed U.S. Adults Consider Their Workplace Proactive about Emergency Preparedness

The FINANCIAL — According to the results of a recent survey commissioned by Cintas Corporation  it’s likely your workplace needs to improve its approach to emergency preparedness.

The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive among 2,019 adults ages 18 and older, finds that fewer than one in three (31 percent) employed U.S. adults believe their workplace is proactive about emergency preparedness.

“Since many employed adults spend the majority of their waking hours in the workplace, organizations need to be prepared to handle injuries, health emergencies or inclement weather with both proactive and reactive solutions,” said Jamie Samide, Senior Director of Marketing, Cintas. “However, our survey highlights a gaping hole in organizational preparedness,” he added.

Proactive solutions are necessary to ensure ongoing safety and include training, personal protective equipment (PPE) and emergency response plans. Yet, of employed U.S. adults:

More than three-quarters (76 percent) say their workplace has not conducted emergency drills in preparation of weather-related disasters;
Less than 20 percent (18 percent) indicate their workplace has provided training about medical emergencies such as diabetic attacks, strokes and choking;
Only 43 percent say their workplace has an emergency response plan in place;
Just 19 percent note that their workplace has asked employees to be part of an emergency response team.

Although many workplaces have the proper reactive solutions in place, like first-aid cabinets, employee education and regular maintenance of items are lacking. The results reveal:

94 percent of employed U.S. adults indicate their workplace has a dedicated first-aid kit or cabinet on site, but 51 percent do not know where it is located;
58 percent of employees say their workplace’s first aid kit or cabinet is not kept stocked with necessary items/

“Working with a safety provider to establish emergency plans, conduct training, ensure correct placement of response tools and ongoing maintenance of these items is essential. With these precautions, employees will be better suited to prevent emergencies from occurring, and better prepared to respond when an emergency unfortunately occurs,” added Samide.