India, a country of more than a billion people saw the employment boost decades ago, with small and large companies making a debut in the Indian subcontinent. Gradually, as the economy opened, India came to be perceived as the land of opportunity by Multi-National Companies (MNCs) and investors alike in many sectors including IT, healthcare, hospitality, and others. Today, many thousands of individuals continue to work in MNCs across the country, due to boundless opportunities, good facilities in addition to enticing remunerations. The procedure of getting into an MNC is usually lengthy, like medical tests, aptitude tests, interviews, and other filtration procedures need to be passed in order to land a placement.
Nonetheless, when we demand so much skill, dedication, and hard work from employees, certain safety measures and basic requirements need to be provisioned for their benefits as well. One such indispensable skill set that each adult needs to be sensitized towards and equipped with is with regards to emergency safety. There are various agencies and online courses that offer in-depth theoretical and practical orientation for individuals regarding the ‘what’, ‘how’, ‘when’, ‘why’ and ‘which’ about emergencies. They are generally listed under the term ‘health & safety’ courses or ‘occupational health & safety’ modules which focus on competence in the practical application of the same. Thus, it not only helps individuals know how to help themselves and others during an unforeseen emergency but also keeps the panic in control, since employees are made aware of the steps that need to be taken in order to minimize harm or damage caused. It helps ingrain a responsible health and safety practice as well as ensures risk assessments to promote a healthy and safe working culture.
Emergency Drill is yet another pragmatic training module that needs to see the break of dawn in the Indian MNC workspace scenario, particularly. Emergency Drills become of paramount importance especially during fire outbreaks or earthquakes, when people need to evacuate the workspace. One of the important benefits of it is the readiness of a campus community in responding to any type of crisis that requires occupants to seek protective shelter inside or outside of a building. Evacuation is necessary when conditions inside the building are hazardous to human life – like in the case of fire outbreaks, whereas sheltering-in is of utmost necessity when the conditions outside of a building present a hazard – like a storm or a cyclone.
Ensuring that employees are made aware of the manners in which they need to respond during an emergency, helps reduces panic, fear, and anxiety during and after an emergency. Post-traumatic conditions are recorded to be one of the most significant cases of damage that can be avoided to a large extent by being committed to employee safety, through mandating pre-designed crash courses. In fact, in such cases, a small/negligible amount of investment can cut humungous costs in the longer run and also helps decrease the period of overall relief assistance. This investment in making health and safety lessons mandatory can also save thousands of lives and economic assets especially in a Corporate Park or an MNC. With a view to spreading awareness and information about this crucial skill set, ZHL provides training modules for corporates, staff, and schools to help them be first responders in their own communities.
Imagine if as part of the orientation or induction programs, all employees are taught how to respond to emergencies, there would be hundreds of thousands of people who could be superheroes in everyday life. Because, unlike more materialistic things in life, investments of such kind are only required once in a lifetime and can leave a tremendous positive impact on many lives.