Emergency Preparedness for Remote Worksites

On a remote island or isolated worksite, the nearest hospital may be a helicopter ride away. A medical emergency, severe weather event, or communication failure doesn't give you time to figure out the plan, you either have one or you improvise. Improvised emergency response kills people. The difference between a managed incident and a tragedy is almost always preparation: who knew what to do in the first 15 minutes. This talk makes sure everyone on this crew knows before they need to.

1. Establish your communication backup before you need it: satellite phone, radio frequency, and a set check-in schedule. Everyone must know who calls who, and at what interval, if primary communication fails.
2. Minimum emergency supply per person (FEMA standard): 1 gallon of water per person per day for 3 days, a 3-day supply of non-perishable food, first aid kit, flashlight with extra batteries, and a battery-powered weather radio.
3. Know both plans, your evacuation route AND your shelter-in-place plan. Severe weather or equipment failure may make leaving impossible. Decide in advance which conditions trigger each response.
4. Designate your on-site emergency coordinator and medical lead on day one, not during the crisis. Post their names and contact information where every worker can see them.
5. Post emergency contacts visibly on site: nearest hospital address, medevac landing zone coordinates, site emergency line, and local emergency management number.
6. Anyone with a prescription medication must carry a minimum 72-hour supply on-site at all times. A medical emergency combined with an empty prescription is a preventable fatality.
7. Practice your muster and headcount protocol before it matters. Everyone must know the assembly point and who runs accountability, an unverified headcount in a real emergency means someone gets left behind.