Sample documentation is available for this feature part–be sure to reference this resource as you prepare your documentation.
This article identifies some of the most common reasons that documentation for feature C03.1 - Develop Emergency Preparedness Plan - is marked as pending in preliminary/round 1 reviews. This guidance does not include all possible reasons for a pending status, but provides information and context based on common review issues.
Ensure you include a method for confidential identification of emergency needs
Requirement a.2 states that the project team must establish a confidential way for occupants who may be more vulnerable to identify specific needs they may have during an emergency.
For example, consider a person who uses a wheelchair and works on the 5th floor of a building. During a typical workday, they use the elevator to arrive at their workstation. However, in the event of a fire, the elevator is not a safe option. This person would need a way to address their specific needs ahead of time to ensure that they have a pre-established, safe way to evacuate the building in an emergency.
The policy you submit for verification should specifically identify a concrete confidential method that can be used to identify these needs. Simply stating that the method exists is not sufficient. Failure to submit information that is specific enough to meet this requirement is a common issue that prevents project teams from successfully achieving this feature.
- Not acceptable: A confidential method for identifying specific individual needs during an emergency will be provided to all employees.
- Acceptable: Employees are encouraged to confidentially request additional assistance needed in the event of an emergency by sending an email to emergencyplanning@example.com, specifying any additional needs they may have. The emergency response coordinator will review all submissions and develop an emergency plan together with the employee.
Plan for annual inventory and maintenance of emergency response resources/equipment
Section c of the feature requirements requires:
- An annual inventory and maintenance of emergency response resources and equipment
- An annual review and update (if needed) of the emergency response staff, their roles and contact information
- An annual review of the emergency management plan
- The emergency plan must be easily accessible to all regular occupants
The policy you submit must clearly outline your project or organization’s procedure for compliance with these requirements. Be sure that the emergency plan you submit includes a procedure for annual updates for the requirements listed above. You should also indicate how regular occupants can access the plan.
Conduct emergency drills
A key aspect of requirement d2 that is commonly missed is holding drills annually for high-risk hazards and at least every two years for other hazards. Be sure that your documentation identifies high-risk hazards and contains a policy for emergency drills that meets these requirements, specifically detailing how frequently drills for each identified disaster type are held.
Include information that is specific to the location (WELL at scale only)
The verification method required for this feature part (Policy/Operations schedule) is shareable, meaning that WELL at scale organizations can submit one document for multiple locations that adhere to the same emergency preparedness plan.
However, the feature also requires information that is likely to be location-specific.
The types of disasters likely to occur, the contact person for confidentially identifying emergency needs, elements of emergency management plans and the list of personnel on the emergency response team for requirement c.2 are likely to differ from location to location. Be sure to account for these location-specific requirements when submitting your documentation. In some cases, you may need to upload separate documents or supplemental information for each location pursuing this feature.