From First Aid to Emergency Contacts, Make Sure Your Store Is Prepared | Carol Schroeder

We all hope we never have to face a medical crisis in our business, but of course things do sometimes happen. Beyond keeping a supply of bandages on hand, what have you done to make sure you’re ready in case something happens to a customer, or one of your employees?

It’s a good idea to have disposable gloves along with the bandages, and other supplies such as alcohol wipes. Business first aid kits often also include scissors, tweezers, an emergency blanket and even a survival whistle that is “louder than a human voice when calling for help.” Make sure that your staff members know where the first aid kit is kept, and that they know that for major traumas they should immediately call 9-1-1.

We have a standing offer to reimburse our staff members for taking CPR training, and there are many videos on YouTube that can help you review these skills. An inexpensive addition to your first aid supplies is a CPR Rescue Kit, which contains instructions, protective gloves, a mask with a one-way valve and antiseptic wipes. Many first aid kits already include these items.

If your operation is large enough, you might also want to consider having an AED, or automated external defibrillator, on hand. Even if your shop is small, it could be an important investment if you have an employee with a heart-related condition. There is some training and maintenance involved, but these units are now available for around $1,200 to $2,500. It’s a small price to pay for saving a life.

In addition to checking your first aid supplies and procedures, now is a good time to make sure that you have information on file in case an employee is injured or becomes ill. You probably have personnel files for each employee containing tax forms, copies of job contracts, annual conference forms, etc. Put an emergency contact form printed on brightly colored paper in the front of each file. Ask the employee to fill it in when hired and mention that it will be kept confidential unless it is necessary to contact someone on their behalf.

Here are the items that should be on the emergency contact form:

• Employee name, address, and phone number
• Any medical emergency information that the employee would like to share (allergies, pre-existing conditions, doctor’s name and phone number). Filling in this section should be optional.
• A person to be called in case of emergency, with both a cell phone and work number
• An alternate person to call if the first person can’t be reached. You should not ask the relationship of the employee to the persons listed, although the employee may wish to volunteer that information.

Keep these forms in mind if you hear of changes in the employee’s life, such as a marriage or a move. You’ll want to remember to keep the information updated in case you ever need to use it.

Another aspect of emergency planning is having functional exit signs, fire extinguishers and smoke alarms. Talk with your staff about what your store’s hazard-specific Emergency Action Plan (EAP) would be in case of a fire, tornado, flood or other crisis.

As a Girl Scout of many years, I know the importance of being prepared.

This is an updated version of a 2010 blog post. See more from Carol Schroeder, author of Specialty Shop Retailing and co-owner of Orange Tree Imports, in the Savvy Store Solutions tab.