For companies with fewer than how many employees does the Emergency Action Plan need not be written?

The Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is a critical component for ensuring workplace safety and preparing for potential emergencies such as fires, natural disasters, and other hazards. According to guidelines provided by occupational safety and health regulations, businesses with fewer than ten employees are not required to have a written Emergency Action Plan. This exemption allows smaller companies to maintain flexibility and simplicity in their operations while still being encouraged to develop informal plans and procedures for handling emergencies.

In practice, this means that while larger businesses are mandated to document their emergency procedures to ensure all employees are aware of the steps to take in case of an emergency, smaller businesses are expected to communicate such plans verbally or through training without the necessity of formal documentation. This arrangement acknowledges that smaller teams can manage emergency responses more informally, as they often have closer communication among team members.