Methods of conducting emergency drills
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This post was last edited by Yu Qin on 2020-7-2 at 20:50. Here, I would like to discuss the various types of emergency drills carried out by manufacturing enterprises – and of course, it’s not just about actual drills or tabletop simulations. When we conduct comprehensive emergency drills, we generally establish a specific scenario and have the employees in relevant positions carry out the drills in accordance with the prepared plans. Depending on the scenario set, different levels of personnel as well as various emergency response teams work together to complete the drills. The comprehensive drill covers a large scale, and many leaders, experts, and organizations from neighboring areas will also observe it. But usually, a lot of preparation is done; the drill process is planned with a script, and it is carried out step by step. Recently, there has been a term in the industrial park regarding the approach to conducting emergency drills, called “blind drill.” This means that without any prior preparation, inspectors from regulatory authorities arrive at the site and, based on the company’s risk factors, create a simulated accident scenario, allowing the company to carry out emergency drills using this hypothetical scenario in order to assess its ability to handle emergencies. “The term “blind performance” is perhaps intended to reflect the lack of prior preparation, in order to test the actual problem-solving capabilities of companies and their employees. But is such a term appropriate?
The so-called concept of a “blind performance” seems to be an attempt to attract attention and show off; do you agree?
I may hold a different opinion; in fact, many corporate drills remain at a routine level – carried out just for the sake of doing drills, as a way to meet requirements. Moreover, this level of routineness also needs to be carefully considered. In the face of a truly catastrophic accident, the vast majority of people become paralyzed with fear and panic; to put it bluntly, quite a number of them lose control of their bladder and bowels. Leaving aside whether the term \"fake drills\" is appropriate, whether they can actually be implemented, or whether they are merely meant to attract attention, the intention behind such actions is certainly good. As a company, and especially its management, having plans in mind is essential to carry out effective management and ensure stable, continuous, and high-quality production.
“If there are plans in mind, then it shouldn’t be called a \"blind performance\". As those of us working in production safety, we can’t act blindly – plans are our lifeline. We should memorize them thoroughly, keep improving them, and conduct regular rehearsals, rather than engaging in blind performances
I believe the \"blindness\" mentioned here does not refer to a lack of plans in mind; rather, it means not designing scenarios in advance or following a set procedure, but instead acting based on reality, avoiding mere pretense and focusing on actual practice. It is believed that most companies have comprehensive emergency plans that cover almost all possible accident scenarios. But one should ask oneself: when such accidents actually occur, how many people follow the steps outlined in those plans? Have there been any changes in the leaders of these teams, and do those leaders really possess the ability to give instructions? Is a member on a business trip? Can team members perform the duties of a team leader? Is there a shortage due to the amount and conditions of emergency equipment available at the scene, or is the storage location within the accident area, which prevents proper use and thus leads to a lack of equipment? Accidents are constantly changing; mastering the most basic response methods and being able to adapt flexibly is key to handling them efficiently. Of course, a “blind drill” is still a drill; it’s just more practical, and it can be effectively carried out only when there is a thorough understanding of contingency plans and potential accidents. I prefer this approach. To put it bluntly, if you go to a company and randomly select a few managers and employees to ask questions about accident handling (in real-life situations), the answers given are mostly related to emergency measures for hazardous chemicals; as for contingency plans, they are simply terrible.