Emergency Planning for Coworking Spaces and Remote Teams

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An emergency plan for a coworking space or remote team answers four questions: who is in charge, how do we reach everyone, how do people get out safely, and how does work continue afterwards. You do not need a long document. You need a short one that people have actually seen.

Why do shared workspaces and remote teams need a plan?

In a coworking space, many people from different companies share one room. Nobody has a single boss in the building, so in an emergency it is easy for everyone to assume someone else is handling it.

Remote teams have the opposite problem. Each person sits in a different place, with different local risks, and you may not know that someone is in trouble until they miss a call. A plan removes the guessing in both cases.

The US government's business preparedness pages at Ready.gov explain why organisations of every size are encouraged to prepare, and OSHA covers workplace requirements on its emergency preparedness page. Outside the US, your local fire authority sets the rules.

Who is in charge when something happens?

Name roles, not just people.

• Plan owner: keeps the document current and runs reviews.
• Floor or area wardens: in a coworking space, people who check that everyone has left an area and help others to exits.
• Deputy for each role: because the owner will be away on the day it matters.
• Contact person for each member company or team: so you can account for everyone.

Put the names on a one-page sheet and display it near the entrance and in the member area.

How will you reach people?

Keep one contact list with phone numbers (not only chat handles) for staff, members who agreed to share them, key suppliers and the building owner. Include local emergency numbers for the place you operate.

Decide in advance what happens if the internet is down. A phone tree or a group text works when a chat app does not. For remote teams, agree on one backup channel and a rule such as: if someone cannot be reached for a set time during working hours, a named colleague calls them.

How do people get out safely?

For a physical space, this part is not optional.

• Mark exits clearly and keep them clear, including desks, boxes and equipment storage.
• Post a floor plan showing exits and the assembly point outside.
• Keep a first-aid kit visible and check it on a schedule. Know where the nearest defibrillator is, and whether anyone on staff is trained to use it.
• Think about people who need help leaving, for example those with limited mobility, and plan how they will be assisted.

Fire alarm, sprinkler and exit requirements are set by local law and inspected by local authorities, so confirm them with your landlord or fire department instead of relying on a blog post. Ready.gov has a page on emergency response plans that is a good starting point for the structure.

What should you plan for in a remote team?

Each person works from a home office, a coworking desk or a cafe, so ask each team member to check a short list:

• Know the local emergency number and the address you would give.
• Have a charged power bank and a second way to get online, such as a phone hotspot.
• Know who to tell if you are unwell, offline or unsafe, and keep that person's number on paper.
• Keep work files in a shared location so one lost laptop does not stop the project.

Our guide to reliable internet for remote workers covers the backup connection part in more detail, and the portable home office kit piece lists the equipment that helps when your usual setup fails.

How does work continue after an incident?

Once everyone is safe, the next question is how to keep the business running.

• Back up important records in a secured location outside the space: member and contact data, bookings, contracts and insurance details.
• Know your insurance cover and keep the policy and the insurer's claim contact in that backup.
• Have a fallback place to work. Another office, a partner space or home working for a few days.
• Decide who talks to members and clients, and what you will say, so messages are consistent.

Check with a qualified adviser, such as your insurer or a lawyer, about what your cover and legal duties are. They differ by country and by contract.

How do you keep the plan alive?

A plan nobody reads fails on the day. Keep it light:

1. Put the one-page version where people see it, and include it in every new member's welcome.
2. Walk through it with staff at least once a year, and after any change in layout, tenants or staffing.
3. Run a short drill and ask what confused people. Fix that first.
4. Update the contact list whenever someone joins or leaves.

If you host events, check capacity and exits before each one. Our piece on hosting workshops in a coworking space is worth reading with this in mind, since a full room changes your exit planning.

The short version

Name who is in charge, keep contacts that work without the internet, mark and clear the exits, back up what matters outside the space, and practise once a year. Confirm legal requirements with your local authority and insurer, because they vary. If you carry portable chargers and connectivity gear for your team, you can browse MaviGadget travel gadgets.