Implementing safety drills help train your team on not just what to do in the event of a real emergency, but more importantly how to avoid unsafe situations altogether.
POM Safety Drills You Can Implement Today
Here are three protocols your organization can roll out today:
1. Check In/Out During Appointments
Require your team to check in at the start of appointments and out when they finish. This protocol allows you to:
- Confirm staff arrived safely and left the appointment without issues.
- Admins can monitor all Check Ins/Outs on a live map.
If someone fails to check out, your Admin portal can trigger escalation steps. For example, if a nurse doesn’t check out:
- The supervisor is alerted.
- If the supervisor can’t reach the team member, emergency responders are dispatched to their last known location.
2. Routine Safety Drills (Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly)
Like schools with fire drills, health organizations and universities need safety drills to prepare their teams for emergencies. Drills ensure that everyone knows their role and responsibilities during a crisis and can be reviewed during regular staff meetings.
Two easy drills to implement:
- Check On Me: Staff complete this drill once a month if they aren't required to check in and out of every appointment (like mentioned above).
- Fake Call: A favorite among customers, this simple drill is quick to implement and reinforces emergency preparedness. It also drives adoption/use of POM and a great opportunity to ensure staff have the most up-to-date app downloaded, their devices charged, and ready to go.
Click here to learn how to implement a Check On Me or Fake Call drill.
Proactive Safety Saves Lives and Reduces Liability
As a leader, it’s crucial to understand the risks your team faces daily and take proactive steps to mitigate them. Having robust safety protocols protects your team and positions your organization ahead of emerging state and federal safety regulations being implemented across states to better protect healthcare workers.
Organizations that prioritize safety become examples that others follow, strengthening their reputation as thought leaders. Conversely, failing to implement safety protocols can result in legal liability. For example, a home care organization was fined $163,000 for not having proper safety measures in place.
By establishing documented protocols and training your team regularly, you can prevent such liabilities and ensure a safer work environment for everyone.
If you'd like to go more in-depth about what specific protocols make sense for your team and how to implement them, let's chat! Send an email to Support@POMSafe.com and we'll get you connected with one of our safety experts.