When a crisis strikes, be it a fire, cyberattack, pandemic, or extreme weather event, organisations rely on their crisis management and business continuity teams to respond quickly, protect operations, and safeguard people. Yet in many organisations, occupational health and safety (OH&S) leaders are still brought in after the fact, rather than being embedded from the outset. That needs to change.
OH&S professionals bring specialised expertise that is essential to any resilient organisation. They understand how to identify and manage physical risks, enforce emergency protocols, and ensure workforce welfare under high-pressure conditions. These capabilities are not simply complementary to crisis response, they are foundational to it.
For example, during a site evacuation, it is the OH&S team that ensures escape routes are accessible, roll calls are conducted, and emergency services are coordinated with. In the event of a hazardous spill, they assess environmental exposure, oversee containment procedures, and protect staff from harm. And during prolonged disruption, such as a public health crisis or extended power failure, OH&S leaders provide critical guidance on safe reoccupation, remote working conditions, and mental health support.
Yet too often, crisis response planning is led exclusively by IT, security, or operations departments, with OH&S consulted reactively. This fragmented approach can result in overlooked risks, non-compliant procedures, or poor communication during fast-moving events.
By embedding OH&S leaders at the resilience table, organisations benefit from a more holistic, people-focused response. These professionals are trained to anticipate how incidents impact not just infrastructure, but employees, both physically and psychologically. Their presence ensures that response plans address accessibility needs, PPE requirements, emergency signage, shelter-in-place protocols, and more.
Moreover, OH&S teams often maintain detailed risk assessments, incident logs, and audit trails, providing valuable intelligence during the post-incident review and informing better preparedness in future.
Their cross-functional knowledge also helps bridge silos. OH&S leaders routinely collaborate with facilities, HR, legal, and compliance teams, making them well-placed to coordinate multi-departmental responses.
Regulatory expectations are also evolving. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and other bodies increasingly emphasise resilience and workforce wellbeing as part of safe systems of work, making OH&S input into continuity planning more critical than ever.
In short, resilience is not just about systems, it’s about people. By positioning OH&S leaders as core members of crisis teams, organisations not only meet compliance obligations but ensure that their emergency response is practical, inclusive, and truly fit for purpose.
Are you searching for Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery solutions for your organisation? The Occupational Safety & Health Forum can help!
Photo by Lyubomyr (Lou) Reverchuk on Unsplash
