Emergency Action Plan Template and How to Use It

An emergency action plan (EAP) explains what people should do when an emergency threatens a workplace or other facility. Use the blank template below to record contacts, alerts, evacuation routes, responsibilities, and accountability procedures, then adapt it to the building, its hazards, and the people who use it.

What an Emergency Action Plan Covers

An EAP is a practical set of instructions for responding to emergencies such as fires, severe weather, hazardous-material releases, power failures, or security threats. Its purpose is to help people recognize an emergency, receive a clear warning, take the right protective action, and know when and how to report to others. It should be usable under pressure, not just complete on paper.

Plans are specific to a site. A small office in a single-floor building may need straightforward exit directions and a meeting point. A warehouse, school, workshop, or multi-tenant building may need separate instructions for different areas, equipment shutdowns, visitors, and people who need assistance. The plan should describe the actual location and available procedures, rather than rely on generic directions such as “leave safely.”

In the United States, OSHA’s general-industry rule at 29 CFR 1910.38 sets out EAP elements for employers covered by that rule. Requirements can differ by workplace, industry, jurisdiction, and building, so a general template is a starting point rather than proof of compliance. Other emergency procedures, building rules, or local requirements may also apply.

What to Include in the Plan

For workplaces covered by OSHA’s general-industry EAP rule, the written plan must address specified topics. The rule allows an employer with ten or fewer employees to communicate the plan orally, but other rules or circumstances may still call for written instructions. A practical plan should make these details easy to find:

• How to report an emergency: Give the method for reporting, such as an internal number, alarm pull station, or emergency services, and clarify who should be notified.
• Evacuation procedures and exit routes: Identify the types of evacuation and the routes or areas to use. Include a map or posted diagram where it will help people navigate.
• Critical operations: State which employees, if any, may need to remain briefly to shut down essential operations before evacuating, and explain what they are expected to do.
• Accounting for people: Identify how employees will be counted or otherwise accounted for after evacuation, and where they should report.
• Rescue and medical duties: Identify employees assigned to perform rescue or medical duties, if any, and describe their role.
• Contacts and alarms: Name or identify the people employees can contact for more information, and describe the alarm system used to signal an emergency.

Additional useful details include the plan’s owner, the date it was reviewed, the facility address, utility shutoffs, shelter locations, and instructions for visitors. Keep emergency-service contact information and building-specific details accurate; do not assume every reader knows the site’s layout or terminology.

Choose the Right Scope Before Filling It In

Decide what the plan covers before writing procedures. A plan might apply to one floor, an entire facility, a worksite with outdoor areas, or several buildings. If different areas have different alarms, exits, hazards, or assembly points, document those differences rather than forcing them into one set of instructions.

List the emergencies that are reasonably relevant to the location. Consider the building’s layout, work processes, equipment, nearby environmental conditions, and the people who may be present. A business near a flood-prone area, for example, may need a defined shelter or relocation procedure. A facility that uses hazardous substances may need clear instructions for leaving an affected area and alerting designated responders. Avoid adding elaborate instructions for unlikely scenarios if doing so makes the essential directions harder to find.

Also identify who the plan is for. Employees may receive formal training, while visitors, contractors, delivery workers, or customers may need simple signs and direct instructions from staff. A plan should state how those groups will be alerted and guided without assuming that they have read the full document.

Emergency Action Plan Template

Tailor Routes, Roles, and Contacts to the Site

Walk the facility while preparing the plan. Check that the named exits exist, routes are not blocked, signs are visible, and the assembly point is a safe and practical distance from the building and emergency vehicle access. If a route could be unavailable during a particular hazard, identify an alternative. Keep maps consistent with the written directions and update both when a layout changes.

Assign roles by function, not just by a person’s name. For example, identify a primary and backup alarm contact, an accountability lead for each shift, and a person responsible for notifying responders. Names can help employees act quickly, but a plan based on one individual may fail when that person is absent. Describe what the role does and how a replacement is chosen.

Make contact details usable. Specify how to reach the person or service, when to call, and what information to provide, such as the facility address, emergency type, affected area, and known hazards. Do not make employees hunt through a long directory during an incident. Post short instructions near relevant phones, work areas, or exits when appropriate.

Reporting, Evacuation, and Accountability

Reporting instructions should answer a few practical questions: How does someone raise the alarm? Who else must be notified? What should a person do if the normal alarm or communication channel fails? Do not make reporting depend on a single method if that method might be unavailable in the emergency being planned for. The plan should make clear that people should not delay a safe evacuation to complete a report.

Different emergencies can call for different protective actions. An evacuation moves people away from danger; sheltering keeps them in a designated safer location; a controlled relocation may move people to another part of the site. State which signal or instruction triggers each action and where people should go. Avoid vague language such as “use the nearest exit” if some exits could lead toward a hazard or if staff need to use a designated route.

After an evacuation, employees need a defined reporting point and a way to account for who is present. A roster, team lead check, or other site-appropriate method may help. Include shift workers and people who may be away from their usual work area. Tell employees not to re-enter to search for someone; missing-person information should be passed to emergency responders. The plan should explain how visitor or contractor presence is recorded when relevant.

People Who May Need Additional Instructions

Consider how the procedures will work for employees and visitors with mobility, hearing, vision, communication, or other access needs. Do not assume that everyone can hear an alarm, read a posted sign, use stairs, or understand an announcement. Depending on the site, useful measures may include visual alerts, plain-language instructions, an identified assistance process, or accessible shelter and exit information.

Plan for different shifts and changing occupancy. A procedure that relies on a daytime receptionist may not work overnight; a route blocked by stored materials may not be usable in practice. Make sure people know how to request assistance and that assigned helpers understand their role. When a person’s circumstances require an individualized arrangement, coordinate it with the person and appropriate workplace specialists rather than relying on assumptions.

Training, Drills, and Keeping the Plan Current

A written plan only helps if people know where to find it and understand the actions it calls for. Explain the alarm signals, exit routes, assembly point, reporting process, and relevant job duties. OSHA’s general-industry rule requires an employer to review the EAP with each covered employee when the plan is developed, when responsibilities or the plan change, and when an employee is assigned to a new task for which training has not previously been provided. Check the rules that apply to your workplace for any additional training or exercise requirements.

Use drills or other practice suited to the site and the risks. Afterward, note practical issues: Was the alarm heard in noisy areas? Were routes clear? Did people know where to assemble? Could the accountability lead identify who was missing? Record lessons and assign someone to correct them. A drill is not useful if the same obstruction or unclear instruction is left unresolved.

Review the plan when the facility layout, staffing, equipment, hazards, alarm system, or contact information changes. Schedule periodic checks as well, so details do not become stale simply because no major change was announced. Make the current version accessible, identify its date, and remove or clearly mark outdated copies to reduce confusion.

Common Problems to Avoid

• Copying a generic plan unchanged: A template cannot know your exits, hazards, alarm signals, or staffing. Verify every instruction on site.
• Using unclear directions: Replace “go to a safe area” with a named location and a route or map that people can understand.
• Relying on one person: Provide backups for key roles and explain what happens when the primary contact is unavailable.
• Confusing a map with the plan: A map shows layout, but usually does not explain who reports an emergency, how people are counted, or what each alarm means.
• Forgetting non-employees: Decide how visitors and contractors will receive instructions and be included in accountability checks.
• Promising actions people cannot safely perform: Keep shutdown, rescue, and medical duties limited to designated people with appropriate preparation and clear boundaries.

A frequent misconception is that having an evacuation map alone means an organization has an emergency action plan. A map can be an important attachment, but it does not replace the procedures, roles, alarm instructions, and accountability arrangements that make the plan actionable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should an emergency action plan include?
An EAP should explain how to report emergencies, how to evacuate or take other protective action, which routes and assembly locations to use, how people will be accounted for, who has assigned duties, and how alarms and contacts work. Applicable workplace rules may specify required elements.

Can I use this template for any workplace?
Use it as a starting checklist, not as a finished plan for every site. Customize it for the building, hazards, staffing, shifts, visitors, accessibility needs, and rules that apply to the organization. A complex or regulated site may need additional procedures and review.

Does an emergency action plan have to be written?
It depends on the applicable rules and workplace. Under OSHA’s general-industry EAP rule, employers with ten or fewer employees may communicate the plan orally; other covered employers must maintain a written plan. Confirm which requirements apply to your situation.

How often should an emergency action plan be reviewed?
Review it whenever relevant details change, including routes, hazards, alarms, staffing, or contacts, and check it periodically for accuracy. Applicable regulations or organizational procedures may set additional review or training expectations.

What is the difference between an emergency action plan and an emergency response plan?
An EAP generally tells employees how to recognize and report an emergency, evacuate or otherwise protect themselves, and account for people. An emergency response plan may cover the actions of trained responders and incident coordination in greater depth. The terms and requirements can vary by context, so distinguish the documents by their purpose at your site.

When to Get a Review

Before distributing a completed plan, ask people familiar with the facility to verify the routes, signals, contact methods, and assigned duties. For workplaces subject to specific rules or with unusual hazards, ask a qualified safety professional or relevant authority to review the plan. Keep the final version straightforward enough for people to use quickly, and make sure employees know where to find it.

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