Workplace Emergency Preparedness: Office, Getting Home, and Supplies

When a Crisis Catches You at Work

It is Tuesday lunchtime. You are in the office when the lights go out — no power. Your phone shows 40 percent battery. Colleagues are staring at black screens. From someone's desk radio comes the announcement: "Widespread power outage — cause unknown, duration uncertain."

Now the questions arise: what do you do? Do you drive home — even though you do not know whether your car can get out of the car park (electric barrier)? Does anyone in your company know who is responsible? What about your children at school?

Very few employees and organisations have a concrete plan for this moment. That needs to change — and you can start regardless of whether your employer has prioritised this topic.

Personal Emergency Preparation at Work

Minimum Supply at the Workplace

A small personal emergency supply at your desk or locker takes up little space and can be decisive:

Drinking water: 2 × 500 ml bottles
Calorie-dense bars or nuts (500 kcal)
Power bank (at least 10,000 mAh, fully charged)
Charging cable for your smartphone
Head torch with batteries
Spare glasses or contact lenses
Essential medications (one day's dose + 2 days' backup)
Emergency numbers on paper (not only stored in the phone)

This fits in a small tote bag or desk drawer.

Cash

Card payments fail during system outages. Keep at least the equivalent of 50–100 euros in cash at work (e.g., in your wallet) to pay for a taxi, petrol, or an emergency purchase.

Clothing and Footwear

If you had to make the journey home on foot: would your work shoes be suitable? On a 10-km walk in high heels or tight formal shoes, blisters and injuries develop quickly. Keep a pair of sturdy shoes at the office.

In winter: keep a jacket at work, even if you only needed a light cardigan in the morning. The weather can change by the afternoon — and without public transport, you are walking home.

Planning Your Route Home

The question you should answer now: how would I get from work to home if no public transport is running and the car is unavailable?

Map the Walking Route

Know the walking route home. Look it up once on a map and note the approximate walking time. Most people in cities work 5–15 km from home — that is reachable on foot in 1–3 hours. An unplanned 12-km walk in the dark after a long working day is unpleasant, but manageable.

Bicycle as Backup

A bicycle or folding bike at the office or near a stop close to work is the most elegant solution for an emergency journey home. It is independent of power, fast, and good for your health.

Carpool Agreements

Talk to colleagues who live in your direction. Agree: "If public transport is not running, we share a car." This costs nothing and has clear value in a crisis.

Communicating a Family Meeting Point

If you have children who are alone at school or in childcare: clarify in advance with all carers who will collect your child if you are unreachable. Nominate a trusted person (other parent, grandparents, close friends) as an officially authorised collector.

Organisational Planning: What Businesses Should Prepare

Even if you are not a decision-maker in your organisation, you can start the conversation. Emergency plans for businesses are not only an ethical responsibility — in many sectors (critical infrastructure, healthcare, public authorities) they are legally required.

Core Elements of a Business Emergency Plan

A complete organisational emergency plan includes:

Evacuation plan: Who evacuates whom? Who checks that all rooms are empty? Where is the assembly point?
Emergency contact list: All staff with personal phone numbers, printed and available in multiple locations
Backup communication: Satellite phone, FM radio, or broadcast list for emergency announcements
Backup power systems: Which systems have an uninterruptible power supply (UPS)? How long does the emergency generator last?
Crisis responsible person: Who makes decisions when the managing director is unreachable?

Business Continuity: What Continues in an Emergency

Not all business activities are equally critical. A Business Continuity Plan (BCP) defines what must continue without interruption (e.g., patient care, critical production processes) and what can pause.

As an employee: know your role in the BCP. If there is none, recommend to your manager that one be created — this is a contribution that will be valued.

Working From Home: Special Considerations

For remote workers, the workplace and home are the same place. In a crisis this is an advantage (no journey home) — but also a challenge: if there is no power at home, the office is dark too.

Home Office Emergency Kit

Laptop battery should always be kept fully charged (make a habit of always being plugged in)
Back up data regularly to the cloud or an external SSD — local data loss through power failure is a real risk
Know and test mobile data hotspot: can your smartphone serve as a Wi-Fi hotspot when the router has no power?
Power bank or small solar charger for multi-day work operation

Communication During a Crisis

Inform your employer early if a crisis makes you unable to work. Most employers are understanding when communication is proactive. Do not wait until they attempt to reach you.

Workplace Emergency Preparedness Checklist

Area	Measure	Location
Supplies	Water + bars + nuts	Desk drawer
Power	Power bank (fully charged)	Bag or drawer
Mobility	Sturdy shoes	Locker or under desk
Mobility	Bicycle or folding bike	Building bike storage
Communication	Emergency numbers on paper	Wallet
Finance	50–100 euros cash	Wallet
Winter	Jacket and gloves	Coat rack
Route home	Walking route planned and tested	In mind + notebook
Children	Authorised collector designated	School notified