The primary responsibilities directly following an incident are to ensure safety of personnel and to reestablish safety in the incident zone. These activities are immediate in nature, and in most cases, required before any post-incident activities can take place. But what happens after the dust clears on the immediate aftermath of an incident? What should workers, supervisors and managers be focused on then? These are important questions to answer because what takes place after the emergency is over can be as important as the emergency response itself. Today, we dig into the post-emergency environment.
How leaders respond to workplace incidents says a lot about an organization’s commitment to employee safety. Being too aggressive or too lax in post-incident response can negatively impact morale, trust, and candor from workers. Whether you’re a field supervisor, job foreman, middle management, or a C-suite executive, quality feedback and engagement from your direct reports is essential. Incident response is a critical activity requiring timely execution and sustainable results. It’s important to understand your role in the response and how your decisions will impact the team, both operationally and psychologically.