Critical Incident Response Policy & Guide
Your safety is ALWAYS our top priority. We do everything we can to provide you with a safe work environment and provide tools to help ensure your safety while conducting the work we ask of you. However, our work for IDL places many of us in possibly dangerous situations and we have to be prepared to respond to a critical incident.
It's important for you to know that our Leadership Team has a plan and are prepared for response if necessary. The IDL Critical Incident Response Policy and Guide is a tool provided to leadership guiding them through the response actions needed if this policy is activated.
This policy and the related procedures are designed to ensure that the Department:
- Provides guidance and direction for safely and efficiently managing a critical incident.
- Provides guidance and direction that is scalable to the size of the incident, the scope of the impact to our employees and their families, and the severity of the incident.
- Reduces the potential for physical or psychological trauma to Department employees with sensitivity to possible impacts to their families.
- Communicates critical incident information in a timely and appropriate manner.
- Conducts the appropriate level of critical incident review and analysis.
- Develops critical incident response training for Department employees.
- This policy is not meant to duplicate efforts of formal teams such as fire-related teams, etc.
You can find this policy and guide and other emergency response resources on the Safety Program SharePoint location.
Bees!
Please prepare for a high activity year of bees, I have already received several workplace injury reports of bee stings. Reactions to a bee sting can vary, and even if you haven't previously had a bad reaction, you can suddenly develop an allergy. Even if you aren't allergic, you should be equipped with antihistamines, sting kill, chemical cold compacts, and epinephrine pens if prescribed. Being prepared can save a life!
If you are allergic, you may want to consider letting someone with you know so that they can respond if you aren't able to.
One way to know what kind of insect stung you is to check for a stinger. If you’ve got one stuck in your skin, you were stung by a honeybee. A honeybee is the only species with a stinger that detaches, which means that the honeybee will sting and then die. On the other hand, wasps, hornets and other types of bees will fly off to sting again (and again and again).
To treat a sting from a bee, wasp, or hornet, dermatologists recommend the following tips:
- Stay calm.
- Remove the stinger.
- Wash the sting with soap and water.
- Apply a cold pack to reduce swelling.
- Apply hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion to ease redness, itching, or swelling.
- If necessary, consider taking over-the-counter pain medication or antihistamines.
- Bee allergies can come on suddenly and antihistamines can make the difference.
Read more information about bee sting symptoms, reactions, and multiple bee stings at mayoclinic.org
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