All businesses must have an emergency plan. Where working operations have changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency plans must be reviewed and, if necessary, updated.

You should think about how you would deal with a case of COVID-19 in your workplace and how the changes to your business practices may affect your existing procedures and other information included in your plan. 

What is an emergency plan?

Businesses must prepare an emergency plan.  

An emergency plan is a written plan that sets out requirements and instructions for workers and others in the case of an emergency.  

An emergency plan must include the following: 

• emergency procedures, including: 
  • an effective response to an emergency  
  • evacuation procedures  
  • notifying emergency service organisations at the earliest opportunity  
  • medical treatment and assistance, and  
  • effective communication between the person authorised to coordinate the emergency response and all people at the workplace
• testing of the emergency procedures—including the frequency of testing, and  
• information, training and instruction to relevant workers in relation to implementing the emergency procedures.  

See the Emergency plans fact sheet for more information on emergency plans. 

Will COVID-19 affect my emergency plan? 

You must ensure emergency plans are maintained to continue to capture the business or undertaking’s circumstances.  

Where working operations have changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency plans must be reviewed and, if necessary, updated.  

Emergency plans must provide for workers who work at multiple workplaces, including at home. 

You must consider a range of factors when reviewing your emergency plan. You should think about how you would deal with a case of COVID-19 in your workplace and how the changes to your business practices may affect your existing procedures and other information included in your plan.  

What new information should be included in an emergency plan?

If you have workers working away from their usual workplace (i.e. working from home), then you will need to consider how this affects your plans and procedures.  

Communication practices may also need to be considered, even when you are still working from your usual workplace, if physical distancing or other measures mean that you are operating differently to when you prepared your plan.  

When reviewing and revising your plan you should also consider the application of all relevant laws, including public health laws (for example, workplaces that are also public places) and state or territory disaster plans. 

Think about practical information that your workers may need. For example, you may need to update: 

• emergency contact details for key personnel who have specific roles or responsibilities under the emergency plan, for example fire wardens, floor wardens and first aid officers  
• contact details for COVID-19 information lines 
• a description of the mechanisms for alerting people to an emergency or possible emergency – this may be affected by remote working 
• any changes to evacuation procedures or assembly points 
• the post-incident follow-up process, including who must be notified. (This may include the process for notifying the business if a worker experiences an emergency while working from home.) 

You should also consider including triggers and processes for advising neighbouring businesses about emergencies, such as a diagnosis of COVID-19 where you share facilities with that business.  

Procedures for testing the emergency plan, including the frequency of testing must be included. 

Access to the emergency plan

Emergency plans, or a summary of key elements of emergency plans, should be readily accessible by workers.  

If some or all of your workers are working from home, you should make sure they still have access.  

Make sure emergency contact details are kept up to date.  

Training in emergency procedures

Workers must be adequately informed and trained in emergency procedures. Arrangements for informing and training workers must be set out in the emergency plan itself.  

If your emergency procedures as a result of changes to business practices from COVID-19, then workers may require additional information or training. 

For instance, if you have fewer workers on site as a result of physical distancing or working from home measures, you may need to provide additional information or training to ensure that key roles are capable of being performed and that all workers understand their responsibilities in an emergency. 

Shared workplaces

In shared workplaces, you must consult, cooperate and coordinate activities with all other persons who have a work health or safety duty in relation to the same matter, so far as is reasonably practicable. This includes when reviewing and revising emergency plans.  

In shared workplaces (such as shopping centres, construction sites or office buildings) where there are multiple businesses, you may have a master emergency plan in place that all relevant duty holders use.  

Template

We have developed a template to help you prepare your emergency plan. 

All businesses must have an emergency plan. Where working operations have changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency plans must be reviewed and, if necessary, updated.

You should think about how you would deal with a case of COVID-19 in your workplace and how the changes to your business practices may affect your existing procedures and other information included in your plan. 

What is an emergency plan?

Businesses must prepare an emergency plan.  

An emergency plan is a written plan that sets out requirements and instructions for workers and others in the case of an emergency.  

An emergency plan must include the following: 

• emergency procedures, including: 
  • an effective response to an emergency  
  • evacuation procedures  
  • notifying emergency service organisations at the earliest opportunity  
  • medical treatment and assistance, and  
  • effective communication between the person authorised to coordinate the emergency response and all people at the workplace
• testing of the emergency procedures—including the frequency of testing, and  
• information, training and instruction to relevant workers in relation to implementing the emergency procedures.  

See the Emergency plans fact sheet for more information on emergency plans. 

Will COVID-19 affect my emergency plan? 

You must ensure emergency plans are maintained to continue to capture the business or undertaking’s circumstances.  

Where working operations have changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency plans must be reviewed and, if necessary, updated.  

Emergency plans must provide for workers who work at multiple workplaces, including at home. 

You must consider a range of factors when reviewing your emergency plan. You should think about how you would deal with a case of COVID-19 in your workplace and how the changes to your business practices may affect your existing procedures and other information included in your plan.  

What new information should be included in an emergency plan?

If you have workers working away from their usual workplace (i.e. working from home), then you will need to consider how this affects your plans and procedures.  

Communication practices may also need to be considered, even when you are still working from your usual workplace, if physical distancing or other measures mean that you are operating differently to when you prepared your plan.  

When reviewing and revising your plan you should also consider the application of all relevant laws, including public health laws (for example, workplaces that are also public places) and state or territory disaster plans. 

Think about practical information that your workers may need. For example, you may need to update: 

• emergency contact details for key personnel who have specific roles or responsibilities under the emergency plan, for example fire wardens, floor wardens and first aid officers  
• contact details for COVID-19 information lines 
• a description of the mechanisms for alerting people to an emergency or possible emergency – this may be affected by remote working 
• any changes to evacuation procedures or assembly points 
• the post-incident follow-up process, including who must be notified. (This may include the process for notifying the business if a worker experiences an emergency while working from home.) 

You should also consider including triggers and processes for advising neighbouring businesses about emergencies, such as a diagnosis of COVID-19 where you share facilities with that business.  

Procedures for testing the emergency plan, including the frequency of testing must be included. 

Access to the emergency plan

Emergency plans, or a summary of key elements of emergency plans, should be readily accessible by workers.  

If some or all of your workers are working from home, you should make sure they still have access.  

Make sure emergency contact details are kept up to date.  

Training in emergency procedures

Workers must be adequately informed and trained in emergency procedures. Arrangements for informing and training workers must be set out in the emergency plan itself.  

If your emergency procedures as a result of changes to business practices from COVID-19, then workers may require additional information or training. 

For instance, if you have fewer workers on site as a result of physical distancing or working from home measures, you may need to provide additional information or training to ensure that key roles are capable of being performed and that all workers understand their responsibilities in an emergency. 

Shared workplaces

In shared workplaces, you must consult, cooperate and coordinate activities with all other persons who have a work health or safety duty in relation to the same matter, so far as is reasonably practicable. This includes when reviewing and revising emergency plans.  

In shared workplaces (such as shopping centres, construction sites or office buildings) where there are multiple businesses, you may have a master emergency plan in place that all relevant duty holders use.  

Template

We have developed a template to help you prepare your emergency plan. 

Your employer must have an emergency plan in place.  

You should see if the plan has changed because of COVID-19. It may now include information on how cases of COVID-19 are to be dealt with as well as updates to procedures where there have been changes to the way the business is operating.  

Check with your employer if you think the emergency plan needs updating. 

What is an emergency plan?

An emergency plan is a written plan that sets out requirements and instructions for workers and others in the case of an emergency.  

An emergency plan must include the following: 

• emergency procedures, including: 
  • an effective response to an emergency  
  • evacuation procedures  
  • notifying emergency service organisations at the earliest opportunity  
  • medical treatment and assistance, and  
  • effective communication between the person authorised to coordinate the emergency response and all people at the workplace  
• testing of the emergency procedures,—including the frequency of testing, and  
• information, training and instructions to relevant workers in relation to implementing the emergency procedures.  

See the Emergency plans fact sheet for more information on emergency plans. 

What do I need to do? 

It’s important that you are familiar with the emergency plan for your workplace, because you must know what to do in the case of an emergency. Even if you are still working from your usual workplace, the plan and procedures may have changed as a result of COVID-19.  

You should check the emergency plan to see if anything has changed. Examples of things that may have changed include contact details of key staff and the process that you should follow if there is an emergency when you are working from home, including notifying your employer.  

You should know where to find a copy of the emergency plan so that you can quickly refer to it if necessary. Speak with your employer if you do not have access to the plan. 

Your employer has an obligation to ensure the emergency plan is maintained to continue to capture the business’s circumstances. If operations have changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, your employer must review and, if necessary, update the emergency plan. The plan must include information for workers who are now working from home or another location. 

If your plan has not been updated and you believe there should be new procedures in place, then you should speak with your employer or health and safety representative. 

Training

Your employer must ensure that you have been adequately informed about, and trained in, emergency procedures. These arrangements must also be set out in the emergency plan itself.  

If procedures change significantly to align with changed business practices due to COVID-19, then you may require new or additional information and training.  

Talk with your employer if you are unsure about anything in the emergency plan.