All organizations rely on some type of alert notification system when dealing with an emergency, crisis or calamity. No matter the company you own or operate, you have the responsibility of protecting those who work for you in the event of an emergency. While this goal is multi-faceted, it ultimately begins with creating a notification system that works, that is efficient and that can protect those who belong to your organization.
There are tons of platforms companies can opt for when relaying messages – such as radio or television broadcasts, emails, digital signage, and others. However, because practically everyone in the workplace owns and has access to mobile devices, these are some of the best technological tools to focus on for a successful alert notification system.
Here are the following tips to take note of in order to make sure that your system ensures the safety of your employees:
1. Make sure to choose the right system
There are different kinds of emergencies, and different responses that go along with them. This then means that the alert notification system you choose for your organization should be adaptable and flexible. After all, the reaction and response that is required for a fire emergency won’t be the same reaction and response when a tornado seeks havoc in an area. A system that is considered as adaptable and flexible is one that can utilize both voice, text and email messaging depending on the level of urgency and danger an emergency presents.
The benefit of having a system is that it allows you to reach multitudes of people all at once through their devices, allowing for reliability and immediacy.
2. Encourage your employees to volunteer, or create a chain of command
You can encourage your employees to volunteer to be recipients of messages and informants when emergencies occur. Either post a message on your intranet or private company blog, and allow them to sign up their interest through these sites.
Another option is to create a chain of command wherein particular people of certain seniority in the company are given the responsibility of ensuring that everyone in the organization are informed of the emergency and procedures so that they are kept safe.
Whichever path you decide on, make sure that those who are made to be responsible are trained properly.
3. Make sure that everyone in the company know your emergency policies and plan
Because everyone receives tons of messages a day, it is imperative that your alert notification system is able to send out messages that stand out. Utilize personalized SMS keywords to make your message identifiable to the recipients. For example, you can use the keywords “WORKALERT” or “[Name of the company] ALERT” so that employees know that the message is from the organization’s system and should be paid attention to.
Prior to any emergency, employees should be made aware of these SMS keywords, as well as the policies and plan they should follow to assure their safety when emergencies occur.
4. Practice before emergencies actually occur
Before emergencies occur, make sure that you practice. Even a well-planned strategy will prove useless if people are not able to practice with clear heads before a dreaded situation happens. Preparing means being able to try out an alert notification system before an emergency occurs, and having people employ the policies and emergency plan laid out by the company during emergency drills. This will ensure that staff members will know what to do and how to act should emergencies occur. Remember to practice different responses for different emergencies.
