New Year's Resolutions for Safety: Building a Small Business Emergency Plan

The start of a new year is a natural reset point for individuals and businesses. Many small business owners reflect on the past year, set financial goals, and look for positive changes that support long-term success. As part of this review, it’s also a good time to evaluate how prepared your business is to handle unexpected emergencies. One of the most impactful workplace resolutions you can make is committing to safety by building or updating your small business emergency plan.

Unexpected events can injure team members and disrupt operations. A thoughtful emergency preparedness plan helps you respond the right way when something goes wrong, creating peace of mind for everyone involved. Whether you operate a retail storefront, office, warehouse, or service-based business, preparation is key to protecting your team, customers, and overall business.

Why safety belongs on your business resolution list

New year’s resolutions are often personal, but safety resolutions should be a shared commitment. Workplace safety is not just about compliance. It’s about creating a safer work environment where employees feel protected and confident doing their jobs.

Small businesses often face unique challenges. For example, limited staffing means fewer people can respond during an emergency situation. Additionally, budgets may be tighter, making downtime more costly. Therefore, a single medical emergency, natural disaster, or other workplace incident can have outsized consequences.

Committing to safety at the start of a new year helps establish consistent expectations around preparedness and response across your workplace. It also signals to employees and customers that protecting people is a core business priority, further supporting stability and growth over time.

Tips for creating a small business emergency plan

An emergency plan doesn’t need to be overly complex to be effective. The best ways to approach planning are to keep it realistic, documented, and easy to understand. Focus on your specific work environment, your typical staffing levels, and the risks most likely to affect your business.

Your end goal is an actionable plan that your team members can follow under stress, not a binder that sits untouched on a shelf. A well-designed plan should also be flexible enough to adapt as your business grows or changes.

Step 1: Identify risks and potential hazards

The first step is conducting a basic risk assessment of your facility and operations. Walk through your primary location as if you were seeing it for the first time and think about how people move through the space during a normal workday.

Consider questions such as:

• Are there documented health hazards related to machinery, tools, or chemicals?
• Could cluttered walkways, cords, or uneven flooring increase the risk of falls?
• Based on your facility size and layout, does your business have an adequate number of AEDs that are easily accessible and properly maintained?
• Are exits clearly marked and free from obstructions?
• How could severe weather or another natural disaster disrupt operations in your area?

Different types of small businesses face different risks. A retail shop may need to consider customer flow and public access, while a warehouse may focus on equipment and loading areas. Identifying hazards early is an effective way to reduce the likelihood and severity of emergencies.

Step 2: Build a clear and usable emergency plan

Once risks are identified, translate them into a written emergency plan that outlines how your business will respond during common emergencies, such as fires, power outages, weather events, and various medical emergencies. This plan should be accessible to all employees and reviewed regularly.

Key components to include:

• Emergency procedure steps written in plain language.
• Evacuation procedures with designated exits and meeting areas.
• A process for accounting for all employees and visitors after an evacuation or emergency.
• A communication plan explaining how employees will be notified and how leadership will share updates.
• Contact information for local authorities and internal leadership.
• Clearly defined roles and responsibilities for specific team members.

For many small businesses, this step also supports occupational safety efforts and helps meet safety standards or a legal requirement tied to their industry. If regulations apply to your business, seeking legal advice can help ensure your plan aligns with those requirements without becoming overly complex.

Step 3: Invest in emergency response training and practice scenarios often

A written plan is only effective if employees know how to carry it out in real time. Safety training and regular practice help turn documented procedures into confident, coordinated action when it matters most.

Basic preparation can start with simple drills during staff meetings or slower business hours. Practice evacuation procedures, review your communication plan, and discuss how to respond to realistic scenarios, such as an employee suddenly collapsing at work or complaining of heart attack symptoms. Encourage open communication and invite employees to share observations about risks they encounter during their daily work.

While these exercises build familiarity, they can’t replace the proven effectiveness of hands-on emergency response training. This type of workplace training is especially important for small businesses, where employees are often the first and only responders in the critical early minutes of an incident. CPR, AED, and First Aid training gives team members the knowledge and practical skills needed to respond to a variety of medical emergencies, such as cardiac arrest, choking, severe bleeding, and diabetic emergencies, until professional help arrives.

In addition, programs like AVIRT (Active Violence Immediate Response Training) help workplaces prepare for active threat situations and emergency bleeding scenarios. This type of hands-on training helps employees to act quickly, reduce panic, and support one another during high-stress events.

Investing in workplace safety training strengthens preparedness, improves response capabilities, and supports a culture of safety built on shared responsibility.

Make safety a lasting resolution

A great resolution doesn’t end in January. Revisit your emergency plan throughout the year, especially after staffing changes, facility updates, or workplace incidents. Regularly take inventory of emergency supplies, confirm expiration dates on first aid items, and ensure safety equipment remains accessible, such as AEDs and first aid kits.

When safety becomes a habit rather than a one-time task, it leads to a safer workplace, stronger morale, and lasting peace of mind. For small business owners, committing to safety at the start of the year is a practical way to protect people, support operations, and keep your business moving forward.

Need CPR, AED, and First Aid training for your business? Contact an HSI Training Center near you or take advantage of our turnkey training solution with our National Training Solution.