Emergency Preparedness: Staff

Many disasters can also cause an emergency related to lack of staff. Staff may not be able to come to work.

In these cases, it may be necessary to go to simplified diets and a simplified menu so that it does not take as much time to prepare and serve meals. It may also be necessary to use disposables if there is not adequate staff to operate the dishroom.

It may be possible to utilize staff from other departments and maybe even from other facilities if the scope of the emergency is small.

In the cases of advance warning, such as a hurricane or blizzard, staff may be able to come to work prior to the storm hitting. The reverse is also possible, in that staff may not be able to leave during a disaster. Both these scenarios may occur throughout the facility. In these cases, it is necessary to have a plan on how to feed these people.

What are your facility policies on ensuring adequate staff in an emergency?