Emergency Action Plan: What to Include (With a Free Template)

October 23, 2026
Floor warden in a high-visibility vest taking a headcount with a clipboard as office employees gather at an outdoor assembly point during a drill

Key Takeaways

  • An emergency action plan must include, at a minimum under OSHA’s 29 CFR 1910.38: how to report emergencies, evacuation procedures and exit route assignments, procedures for anyone who stays to shut down critical operations, a way to account for every employee after evacuating, rescue and medical duties, and the names or titles of people to contact about the plan.
  • OSHA’s rule applies whenever another OSHA standard requires an EAP, such as the portable fire extinguisher standard. The plan must be written, except that employers with 10 or fewer employees may communicate it orally.
  • Employers covered by the rule must also have an employee alarm system with distinctive signals, train people to assist with evacuation, and review the plan with each employee at key points.
  • A strong plan goes beyond fire and evacuation to cover shelter-in-place, lockdown, medical emergencies, workplace violence, and employees who work alone or off-site. Use the free template below to build yours.

An emergency action plan (EAP) is the written playbook that tells everyone in your workplace what to do in the first minutes of a fire, severe weather, medical emergency, chemical release, or violent incident: how to raise the alarm, where to go, who is in charge, and how you will know everyone is safe.

Why an emergency action plan matters

Emergencies rarely give warning, and the first few minutes shape the outcome. Ready.gov’s guidance on business emergency response plans puts it plainly: the actions taken in the initial minutes of an emergency are critical. Without a plan, people hesitate, use the wrong exit, wait for instructions no one is authorized to give, or go back for belongings.

The cost of being unprepared also reaches beyond the day itself. According to FEMA, about 25 percent of businesses do not reopen after a disaster. A good workplace emergency plan protects people first, and it also protects the records, equipment, and continuity a business needs to recover.

What OSHA requires (29 CFR 1910.38)

OSHA’s emergency action plan standard, 29 CFR 1910.38, sets the baseline for general industry.

When the rule applies

The standard applies whenever another OSHA standard in Part 1910 requires an emergency action plan. OSHA’s EAP requirements questionnaire walks through the most common triggers, including portable fire extinguishers (29 CFR 1910.157), certain fixed extinguishing and fire detection systems, process safety management, grain handling facilities, and several chemical-specific standards. Even where it isn’t strictly required, a plan is the clearest way to show you have prepared for foreseeable emergencies.

Written or oral

The plan must be in writing, kept in the workplace, and available to employees for review. An employer with 10 or fewer employees may communicate the plan orally.

The six minimum elements

Reporting emergencies

How employees raise the alarm: 911, an internal number, a pull station, or another method.

(c)(1)

Evacuation and exit routes

Who can order an evacuation, when, how, and which routes to use.

(c)(2)

Critical operations

Who shuts down equipment or utilities before leaving, and when they must stop and evacuate.

(c)(3)

Accounting for employees

Assembly points, headcounts, sweeps, and how missing people are reported.

(c)(4)

Rescue and medical duties

Who performs them, or a statement that you rely on public emergency services.

(c)(5)

Plan contacts

Names or job titles of people employees can contact about the plan and their duties.

(c)(6)

Minimum elements of an emergency action plan under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.38(c).

Alarm, training, and review

  • Employee alarm system (1910.38(d)). You must have and maintain an alarm system that uses a distinctive signal for each purpose and complies with 29 CFR 1910.165.
  • Training (1910.38(e)). You must designate and train employees to assist in a safe and orderly evacuation.
  • Review (1910.38(f)). You must review the plan with each covered employee when it is developed or when they are first assigned, when their responsibilities under the plan change, and when the plan changes.

What OSHA recommends adding

OSHA’s minimum requirements guidance suggests going further: describe the alarm system used to notify employees (including employees with disabilities), name an alternative communications center in case of fire or explosion, and keep copies of essential records such as emergency contact lists in a secure on-site or off-site location.

1

Plan created or employee assigned

Walk each covered employee through the plan when it's created, and when a new hire or transfer starts the job.

(f)(1)
2

Employee's duties change

Review again when someone takes on a new role in the plan, such as floor warden or shutdown duty.

(f)(2)
3

The plan changes

New routes, alarms, contacts, or procedures mean reviewing the updated plan with covered employees.

(f)(3)
4

At least once a year

Not required by OSHA, but an annual review and drill catches changes in staff, layout, and contacts.

Best practice

Review triggers under OSHA 29 CFR 1910.38(f). Annual review is a recommended best practice, not an OSHA requirement.

Beyond the minimum: what a modern EAP should cover

The OSHA elements were written with fire and evacuation in mind, but fire is only one hazard. Ready.gov recommends defining the most appropriate protective action for each hazard: evacuation, shelter, shelter-in-place, or lockdown. A complete EAP should address:

  • Hazards specific to your site. Fire, severe weather, flooding, earthquakes, utility failures, hazardous materials, and medical emergencies.
  • Workplace violence and active threats. How employees signal for help discreetly, when to lock down, and how the all-clear is given.
  • Employees with disabilities and visitors. Named assistants, accessible routes, and how visitors and contractors are accounted for.
  • People away from the building. Employees who work alone, after hours, remotely, or in the field are easy to miss in a headcount. Your plan should say how they report an emergency and how you confirm they are safe.
  • Communication during and after. How you reach everyone quickly, including people not at their desks, and how you share updates.
  • Continuity. Where critical records are stored and who leads recovery.

How to build and maintain your plan

  1. Form a small planning team of managers and employees from each area. OSHA’s guidance on developing and implementing an EAP recommends involving employees, who often know the hazards and worst-case scenarios best.
  2. Assess your hazards and your building. Walk exit routes, check alarm coverage, and note where people work alone.
  3. Assign authority. Name an emergency coordinator with the authority to order evacuation or lockdown, plus alternates for every shift.
  4. Draft the plan using the template below.
  5. Train everyone, then designate and train evacuation wardens.
  6. Drill. Run evacuation, shelter-in-place, and lockdown drills, including at least one on an off-shift.
  7. Review and update after every drill, incident, and change to people, layout, or processes, and at least annually.
Workplace safety team reviewing building floor plans and evacuation routes to develop an emergency action plan.

Free emergency action plan template

Copy the outline below into your own document and replace everything in [brackets]. Check it against the OSHA standards, state requirements, and local fire codes that apply to your site.

[Organization name] Emergency Action Plan

Facility / address: [ ] Plan coordinator: [Name, title, phone] | Alternate: [Name, title, phone] Date adopted: [ ] | Last reviewed: [ ]

1. Purpose and scope

This plan describes how employees, contractors, and visitors at [facility] will report and respond to emergencies, including fire, severe weather, medical emergencies, hazardous material releases, and workplace violence. It applies to all shifts and to employees working off-site or alone on behalf of [Organization name].

2. Emergency contacts and plan contacts

  • Emergency services: 911
  • Plan coordinator and alternates: [names, titles, phone numbers]
  • Contacts for questions about the plan and individual duties: [names or job titles]
  • Building management, utilities, and other key numbers: [list]

3. Reporting emergencies

Any employee who discovers a fire or other emergency will [activate the nearest pull station / call 911 / call internal number ###] and then notify [coordinator]. Employees who work alone or off-site will report emergencies by [method, e.g., calling 911 directly, then notifying their supervisor].

4. Alarm and notification

The employee alarm system uses these distinct signals: [e.g., continuous horn and strobe = evacuate; spoken announcement = shelter-in-place; lockdown message by text and public address = lockdown]. Employees not reached by the building alarm, including those with hearing impairments or working remotely, will be notified by [mass text, email, phone call, app notification].

5. Evacuation procedures

  • Authority to order evacuation: [coordinator, alternates, any employee in immediate danger].
  • Exit routes: see posted floor plans in [locations]. Primary and secondary routes for each area are [describe or attach].
  • Before leaving, if safe: [close doors, take keys and phone].
  • Do not use elevators. Do not return to the building until [coordinator or fire department] gives the all-clear.
  • Employees needing assistance and their assigned helpers: [list or reference confidential roster].

6. Shelter-in-place and lockdown

  • Severe weather: Move to [interior rooms or lowest floor].
  • Hazardous air release: Close windows and doors, shut down [HVAC], move to [room].
  • Lockdown (violent threat): Lock or barricade doors, silence phones, stay out of sight, and call 911 or use [discreet alert method] if safe. Wait for [all-clear method] before moving.

7. Critical operations shutdown

The following employees may remain briefly to [shut down equipment or utilities]: [titles]. They must evacuate when [condition or time limit] is reached.

8. Accounting for employees

  • Assembly points: [primary], [secondary].
  • Wardens will sweep [areas] and take a headcount using [roster or sign-in list].
  • Missing persons and their last known locations are reported immediately to [coordinator], who informs responding emergency services.
  • Remote, field, and lone workers will confirm their status by [method] within [time].

9. Rescue and medical duties

[Organization name] relies on [local fire and EMS] for rescue and medical services. The following trained employees may provide first aid or CPR until responders arrive: [names or titles]. AED and first aid kit locations: [list].

10. Training and drills

All employees will be trained on this plan at hire, when their duties change, and when the plan changes. Evacuation wardens will receive additional training. Drills will be held [frequency] for evacuation, shelter-in-place, and lockdown.

11. Plan review and distribution

This plan will be reviewed [at least annually] and after any drill, incident, or change in staff, layout, or processes. Copies are kept at [locations] and in [shared drive or system]. Essential records and emergency contact lists are backed up at [secure off-site location].

Approved by: [Name, title, signature, date]

Download Template

How Silent Beacon strengthens an emergency action plan

A written plan is only as good as the speed at which people can act on it. Silent Beacon supports three parts of the template that are hardest to get right: reporting, notification, and reaching people who aren’t in the building.

Reporting an emergency from anywhere (sections 3 and 6). Silent Beacon’s 2.0 panic button is a wearable panic button that pairs with an employee’s smartphone over Bluetooth® and uses the phone’s cellular or Wi-Fi signal. Emergency Alert Mode calls the number your plan specifies, which can be 911, through the device’s own two-way speakerphone, while text, email, and push notifications with GPS location reach the coordinator and other contacts at the same moment. During a lockdown, Silent Mode turns off the speaker and light while the microphone keeps listening, so an employee can call for help without drawing attention.

Notifying everyone, including people away from their desks (section 4). Silent Beacon’s business platform includes mass messaging that lets administrators send text, email, and automated voice messages to the whole organization or chosen groups, so an evacuation, shelter-in-place, or all-clear message reaches people the building alarm doesn’t. It is a complement to, not a replacement for, the OSHA-required employee alarm system.

Accounting for lone and field workers (section 8). Employees working alone or off-site can send a quick “I’m OK” with their location using Check-In Mode, which the employee sends manually when asked to confirm their status. Control Center, Silent Beacon’s cloud admin interface, keeps alert history for after-action review and plan updates. Deployment typically takes under two weeks, with no facility infrastructure to install.

Frequently Asked Questions.

Is an emergency action plan required by OSHA?

OSHA’s 1910.38 applies whenever another OSHA standard requires an emergency action plan, such as the portable fire extinguisher standard and certain fire detection, process safety, and chemical standards. Use OSHA’s online questionnaire to check whether your workplace is covered. Even when it isn’t required, an EAP is the clearest way to prepare employees for foreseeable emergencies.

Sources

Get a Quote for Your Team

An emergency action plan protects people only when everyone can act on it in seconds, so put the template to work, train on it, and drill it this quarter. If you want every employee, including those working alone or off-site, to have a fast, discreet way to report an emergency and receive alerts, Get a Quote and talk to a Silent Beacon safety expert.

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