NCJ Number
190511
Date Published
October 1999
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This document focuses on the content of emergency warning messages for miners.
Abstract
This material has been developed for use in short safety-training sessions such as start-of-shift safety or “toolbox” talks. Research has shown that when an emergency occurs, people often do not get the information they need for the purpose of taking appropriate action. This material presents a procedure using mental cues that can be used by senders and receivers of emergency warnings. Emergency communication is important because effective communication will reduce confusion, increase confidence in decisions, stop rumors and incorrect information, and improve the likelihood of success. The communication triangle is used to help cue the items to remember during an emergency. First, when reporting an emergency or receiving a warning, the caller must first clearly identify him or herself. When people receiving a warning do not know who it is from, they are likely to try and gather more information before acting and thus, critical time is lost. Second, the location of the problem must be given. This may seem like common sense, but it doesn’t always happen. Third, the caller must tell exactly what is happening at the scene. Again, this is common sense but doesn’t always happen in an emergency. After giving the three most important pieces of information, there are still three more questions that need to be answered. The first is whether there are injuries. The second is will this problem require a first aid kit or an ambulance. And third, what has been done so far, how many people are on the scene, and what equipment is needed. People will react more quickly if they get the complete picture of an emergency situation. The response will be more appropriate and better coordinated. 9 figures