Emergency drills are a critical part of every health and safety program. The difference between a well-prepared and less-prepared crew can save precious minutes when an injured worker is in desperate need of medical care, and can help workers make better decisions when they face the pressure of helping an injured colleague. Drills must be done to satisfy regulatory requirements and to meet SAFE Companies audit standards. However, many crews are unsure of how to set up an effective drill, what to practice, and how to evaluate these exercises. Some crews limit their drills to fire and spill exercises, and have not adequately practiced the various skills that can be critical to responding to medical emergencies in forestry workplaces. An emergency drill guide and toolkit has been assembled to help employers set up and improve their drill program. The guide includes instructions to guide employers through drills and a series of templates to get them started with a graduated set of challenges to test their emergency preparation from basic assistance to complex situations with multiple patients. The guide also includes a tool for evaluating learning outcomes so that emergency systems can be improved. This guide can be downloaded from the WFCA here
