Emergency incidents can occur in any commercial or industrial environment at any time.

The risks to buildings and occupants can be reduced with good and proper planning, while some risks can even be eliminated.

The Emergency Management Planning process develops procedures that ensures the safety of people during an emergency and it also identifies possible risks.

What Is An Emergency?
An emergency is any unplanned event that can cause deaths or significant injuries to employees, customers or the public; or that can shut down your business, disrupt operations, cause physical or environmental damage, or threaten the facility's financial standing or public image.

What Is Emergency Management?
Emergency management is a dynamic process of preparing for, mitigating, responding to and recovering from emergency.

Planning, though critical, is not the only component. Training, conducting drills, testing equipment and coordinating activities with the community are other important functions.

Making the "CASE" for Emergency Management
To be successful, emergency management requires upper management support. The chief executive sets the tone by authorizing planning to take place and directing senior management to get involved.

Making sure that fire fighting equipment are ready and easily accessed in emergencies

The importance of Emergency Plans:

• It helps companies fulfill their moral responsibility to protect employees, the community and helps the environment.
• It facilitates compliance with regulatory requirements of the Fiji Government and local agencies
• It enhances a company's ability to recover from financial losses, regulatory fines, loss of market share, damage to equipment or products or business interruption.
• It reduces exposure to civil or criminal liability in the event of an incident. It enhances a company's image and credibility with employees, customers, suppliers and the community.
• It may reduce your insurance premiums.