Workplace Emergency Action Plan Colombia (Plan de Emergencia Empresa)

A Workplace Emergency Action Plan Colombia (Plan de Emergencia Empresa) is a mandatory occupational health and safety document required under the Sistema de Gestión de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo (SG-SST) framework established by Decreto 1072 de 2015 — the Decreto Único Reglamentario del Sector Trabajo — and detailed in Resolución 0312 de 2019 issued by the Ministerio del Trabajo. Every employer operating in Colombia, whether a Sociedad por Acciones Simplificada (SAS) under Ley 1258 de 2008, a Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada (SRL), a Sociedad Anónima (SA), or a persona natural with employees, must develop and maintain a written emergency preparedness and response plan as part of the SG-SST obligations under Decreto 1072 de 2015 Artículo 2.2.4.6.25.

The constitutional foundation for workplace safety in Colombia derives from Artículo 25 of the Constitución Política de 1991, which guarantees work under dignified and fair conditions, and Artículo 49, which establishes public health as a State responsibility. Ley 9 de 1979 — the Código Sanitario Nacional — first imposed general obligations on employers to maintain safe working environments, later reinforced by Resolución 2400 de 1979 (Estatuto de Seguridad Industrial) which established minimum standards for industrial hygiene, ventilation, fire protection, and emergency exits in all Colombian workplaces.

Decreto 1072 de 2015 consolidated all labour and occupational health regulations into a single regulatory framework. Artículo 2.2.4.6.25 specifically requires employers to implement emergency prevention, preparedness, and response procedures covering at minimum: identification of threats and vulnerabilities (análisis de amenazas y vulnerabilidades); establishment of evacuation routes, assembly points (puntos de encuentro), and emergency signage compliant with Norma Técnica Colombiana NTC 1461 and NTC 1700; designation and training of emergency brigades (brigadas de emergencia) for first aid, firefighting, and evacuation; and coordination protocols with external emergency services including the Cuerpo de Bomberos, Defensa Civil Colombiana, Cruz Roja Colombiana, and the Sistema Nacional de Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres under Ley 1523 de 2012.

Resolución 0312 de 2019 established tiered SG-SST compliance standards based on employer size and risk classification. Employers with ten or fewer workers classified in risk levels I through III must meet seven minimum standards including an emergency plan. Employers with eleven to fifty workers must comply with twenty-one standards, and employers with more than fifty workers or those in risk levels IV and V must meet sixty-two standards — all requiring a thorough written emergency plan with documented drills (simulacros) conducted at least once annually.

The Administradora de Riesgos Laborales (ARL) to which the employer is affiliated plays a central role in emergency planning under Ley 1562 de 2012 and Decreto 1295 de 1994. Each ARL must provide technical assistance to affiliated employers for developing emergency plans, training brigade members, and conducting risk assessments. The employer's risk classification — ranging from Clase I (riesgo mínimo, office work) through Clase V (riesgo máximo, mining and construction) — determines both the ARL contribution rate (0.348% to 8.7% of payroll) and the depth of emergency preparedness required.

The Comité Paritario de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo (COPASST) — mandatory for employers with twenty or more workers under Resolución 2013 de 1986 — or the Vigía de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo (for employers with fewer than twenty workers) must participate in developing, reviewing, and updating the emergency plan. The COPASST meets monthly and has specific functions related to emergency preparedness under Decreto 1072 de 2015 Artículo 2.2.4.6.24, including investigating workplace incidents and recommending corrective actions.

Non-compliance with SG-SST emergency planning obligations carries severe sanctions under Decreto 472 de 2015 and Ley 1610 de 2013. Fines range from 1 to 500 SMLMV for microempresas, 2 to 1,000 SMLMV for pequeñas empresas, 5 to 2,000 SMLMV for medianas empresas, and 10 to 5,000 SMLMV for grandes empresas. In cases of fatal workplace accidents where the employer failed to maintain adequate emergency response procedures, criminal liability under Artículo 109 of the Código Penal (Ley 599 de 2000) for culpable homicide may apply to the employer or the responsible manager.

A Workplace Emergency Action Plan Colombia is required for every employer registered with the Cámara de Comercio and affiliated to an Administradora de Riesgos Laborales (ARL) under Ley 1562 de 2012. Decreto 1072 de 2015 Artículo 2.2.4.6.25 mandates emergency prevention, preparedness, and response procedures as a core component of the Sistema de Gestión de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo (SG-SST) — no employer operating in Colombia is exempt from this obligation regardless of size or economic activity.

The plan is needed when a new company begins operations and registers employees through the Planilla Integrada de Liquidación de Aportes (PILA), as the ARL will assess the employer's risk classification under Decreto 1295 de 1994 and require evidence of emergency preparedness during initial and periodic audits. Resolución 0312 de 2019 Artículo 3 establishes that even employers with ten or fewer workers in risk levels I through III must maintain an emergency plan as one of seven minimum SG-SST standards.

The document must be updated whenever significant changes occur in the workplace: relocation to new premises, expansion of operations, introduction of new chemical substances classified under the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) adopted by Colombia through Decreto 1496 de 2018, changes in workforce size crossing the thresholds of Resolución 0312 de 2019 (10, 50, and 200 workers), or following any workplace incident reportable to the ARL under Resolución 1401 de 2007.

The Ministerio del Trabajo inspectors — operating under Ley 1610 de 2013 — may request the emergency plan during routine or targeted workplace inspections. Failure to produce a current, documented plan constitutes a violation subject to sanctions under Decreto 472 de 2015. Similarly, the ARL conducts periodic compliance assessments and may issue non-conformance reports (hallazgos) requiring corrective action within specified deadlines.

An emergency plan is essential for buildings subject to Ley 1575 de 2012 (Ley General de Bomberos) which requires all commercial and industrial establishments to obtain a concepto técnico favorable (fire safety certificate) from the local Cuerpo de Bomberos before operating. The Bomberos inspection verifies the existence of evacuation routes, fire extinguishers compliant with NTC 2885, emergency lighting, and a written emergency plan with trained personnel.

The plan must be reviewed annually at minimum, with documented evidence of revisions, brigade training records, and drill reports retained for at least twenty years as part of the employer's SG-SST records under Decreto 1072 de 2015 Artículo 2.2.4.6.13.

A valid Workplace Emergency Action Plan Colombia under Decreto 1072 de 2015 and Resolución 0312 de 2019 must contain the following elements to satisfy SG-SST audit requirements and pass Ministerio del Trabajo inspections.

Company Identification: Full legal name (razón social), NIT (Número de Identificación Tributaria) assigned by the DIAN, Cámara de Comercio matrícula mercantil number, ARL affiliation number, risk classification (Clase I through V under Decreto 1295 de 1994), CIIU economic activity code, and total number of workers at each location. The representante legal must sign the plan, confirming the employer's commitment to emergency preparedness under Decreto 1072 de 2015 Artículo 2.2.4.6.8.

Threat and Vulnerability Analysis: Systematic identification of internal threats (fire, structural collapse, chemical spills, electrical failures, workplace violence) and external threats (earthquakes per the Norma Colombiana de Diseño y Construcción Sismo Resistente NSR-10, floods, landslides, civil unrest, terrorism) specific to the workplace location. Each threat must be rated by probability, severity, and vulnerability using the diamond methodology (método del diamante) recommended by the Unidad Nacional para la Gestión del Riesgo de Desastres (UNGRD) under Ley 1523 de 2012.

Emergency Response Procedures: Step-by-step protocols for each identified threat scenario including activation of the alarm system, notification chain (cadena de llamadas), evacuation procedures, shelter-in-place protocols, and medical emergency response. Procedures must specify roles and responsibilities for the emergency coordinator, brigade leaders, floor wardens (coordinadores de piso), and the COPASST or Vigía de Seguridad under Resolución 2013 de 1986.

Evacuation Routes and Assembly Points: Documented primary and secondary evacuation routes for each floor and area, with signage compliant with Norma Técnica Colombiana NTC 1461 (safety colours) and NTC 1700 (safety signs). Assembly points (puntos de encuentro) must be identified with GPS coordinates or clear reference landmarks. Building plans (planos de evacuación) must be posted at strategic locations visible to all workers under Resolución 2400 de 1979.

Emergency Brigades: Designation, training schedule, and certification records for emergency brigade members. Brigades must cover three functions: first aid (primeros auxilios), fire prevention and control (prevención y control de incendios), and evacuation (evacuación y rescate). Brigade training must include basic life support, fire extinguisher operation per NTC 2885, and search and rescue techniques. Training records must be retained for at least twenty years under Decreto 1072 de 2015 Artículo 2.2.4.6.13.

Emergency Equipment Inventory: Location, type, and maintenance schedule for fire extinguishers (classified ABC, CO2, or dry powder per NTC 2885), fire hose cabinets, automated external defibrillators (AEDs), first aid kits compliant with Resolución 0705 de 2007, emergency lighting systems, alarm systems, and personal protective equipment (PPE) for brigade members. Inspection records must document monthly visual checks and annual maintenance certification by authorized providers.

Drill Schedule and Documentation: Mandatory minimum one evacuation drill (simulacro) per year per Resolución 0312 de 2019, though standard practices under Decreto 1072 de 2015 recommend quarterly exercises. Each drill must be documented with date, time, number of participants, evacuation time, observations, and corrective actions. The COPASST or Vigía must review drill results and recommend improvements.

External Coordination: Emergency contact information and coordination protocols with the local Cuerpo de Bomberos (Ley 1575 de 2012), Defensa Civil Colombiana, Cruz Roja Colombiana, nearest hospital emergency department, Policía Nacional, and the municipal Consejo Departamental de Gestión del Riesgo under Ley 1523 de 2012. Mutual aid agreements with neighbouring businesses are recommended for industrial zones.

Forms-legal.com provides this Workplace Emergency Action Plan Colombia template as a practical starting point for meeting SG-SST obligations. Every emergency plan should be reviewed by a licensed profesional en Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo holding a licencia de SST issued by the Secretaría de Salud, and validated through consultation with the affiliated ARL's technical assistance team and the local Cuerpo de Bomberos.