AST Digital Magazine June 2017 Digital-June | Page 47

Volume 13
June 2017 Edition
‘Check Yes for
Safety’ of Govern-
ment Facilities,
Joe Oliveri
By Joe Oliveri, Vice President, General Manager, Johnson
Controls’ Building Technologies & Solutions, North America
Being prepared is your best defense when it
comes to the safety of your government facility.
Although every facility varies and many are bound
by strict regulations, there are several things all
facilities managers can do to help improve the
safety of employees and visitors.
During National Safety Month this June, it is a
great time to reevaluate your safety and security
protocols.
To get started, consider the following checklist
with a few best practices all government facilities
can implement to help better protect your facility
and staff.
Emergency Preparedness
Start by outlining the most appropriate respons-
es depending on location and situation including
evacuation routes and emergency exits.
The next step is to clearly communicate these
plans to staff.
Scheduling yearly security trainings and drills
helps keep safety top of mind for all, not just
those who work in security or operations.
Common Hazards
For the safety and well-being of the people in-
volved, it’s important to have a response plan
in place detailing the steps and procedures to
take during an emergency such as a fire, severe
weather or active shooter scenario.
It is also important to identify the weaknesses
specific to your facility through a risk assess-
ment, and take actionable steps to address them
once uncovered.
This allows personnel to make more informed
decisions about what actions should be taken to
improve safety.
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