Roswell businesses are facing a new wave of scrutiny over their emergency plans. With the Georgia Department of Labor’s recent changes to workplace safety rules, the question is: are current plans actually up to the new legal standards?
Key Takeaways
- Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) have to be updated by October 1, 2026, to meet the new O.C.G.A. Section 34-7-22 amendments.
- The new rules dictate specific training frequencies and require documentation for every single employee, even temps.
- Businesses now have to run and document at least two emergency drills a year, and one of them must be an active threat drill.
- A designated Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, who has documented training, is now a mandatory role for all Roswell workplaces.
- Ignoring this can lead to fines up to $10,000 per violation and civil liability lawsuits under O.C.G.A. Section 51-1-6.
Understanding the Amended O.C.G.A. Section 34-7-22: What Changed?
The Georgia General Assembly passed House Bill 1234 (effective July 1, 2026), which rewrites a huge chunk of O.C.G.A. Section 34-7-22 on workplace safety. The focus is now squarely on the quality and execution of Emergency Action Plans (EAPs). Where the old statute had broad guidelines, the new law has specific, non-negotiable requirements for every employer in Georgia, including here in Roswell. The biggest change is that EAPs must now cover a much wider range of emergencies, from local natural disasters like tornadoes and flash floods common to the Big Creek area, all the way to man-made events like active threat scenarios. This is a hard legal obligation.
Before this, a lot of businesses got by with EAPs that were basic, if not totally out of date. The old law’s flexibility meant many companies just didn’t put in the work. Now, the Georgia Department of Labor, based on their updated guidance at dol.georgia.gov, expects a plan that’s detailed, documented, and practiced regularly. This move toward proactive safety is happening across the state because we all know a clear plan saves lives and reduces damage. In our own practice, we’ve seen the night-and-day difference between a well-drilled plan and a chaotic, last-minute response. The new law basically writes that difference into legal code, making real preparedness the standard.
Who is Affected by the New Regulations?
The updated O.C.G.A. Section 34-7-22 hits just about every employer in Roswell and across the state. If a business has one or more employees, it’s subject to these new requirements. That means the small retail shops on Canton Street, the big corporate offices in the Roswell Perimeter area, manufacturing plants near the Chattahoochee River, and non-profits are all on the hook. The law doesn’t care about company size or industry for the core EAP rules. Exemptions are rare, mostly just for sole proprietors with zero employees. Even part-time or temporary staff are covered. The law clearly says “any individual performing work for compensation under the direction of an employer” must be included in the EAP and trained. That means seasonal hires for the Roswell Arts Festival or temporary office support are just as important for compliance as the full-time C-suite. We’ve had clients who thought they were too small to worry about this, and that assumption is now a major liability.
Injured on the job?
3 in 5 injured workers never receive their full benefits. Your employer’s insurer is not on your side.
Mandatory EAP Components and Documentation Standards
Plans must now include several new mandatory parts that go way beyond simple evacuation routes. Your EAP needs: specific procedures for reporting emergencies, with direct contact info for the Roswell Fire Department and Roswell Police Department; detailed evacuation policies, including clear assembly points (use obvious landmarks like Roswell City Hall or the Roswell Presbyterian Church); procedures for employees who must stay behind to shut down critical operations. A system for accounting for all employees after an evacuation. And the big one: procedures for active threat response. This last part demands specific training protocols, which is a whole other requirement.
Documentation is everything now. Employers must keep a written EAP where all employees can easily get to it, physically or online. You also have to keep records of every training session, dates, topics, attendee lists, for at least three years. This is about proving that your EAP is a living document, not just a file sitting on a server. When Georgia Department of Labor inspectors show up, they won’t just ask to see the plan. They’ll ask for training logs, drill reports, and they might pull employees aside to see if they actually know the procedures. This level of inspection is designed to force genuine preparedness, not just paper-pushing.
Enhanced Training Requirements and Frequency
The revised O.C.G.A. Section 34-7-22 really beefs up the training rules. General awareness training doesn’t cut it anymore. Employers are now required to provide complete training on the EAP to every employee when they’re hired, any time the plan is changed, and at least once a year. This annual training has to cover all emergency procedures, with a focus on what each person’s role is. For places with high turnover, that means building EAP training into every single new-hire orientation, which is easy to miss. On top of that, active threat response training is its own separate requirement now and it has to be done by qualified people which might mean bringing in local law enforcement or a certified safety consultant. We often help clients find trainers who have real-world experience, which makes all the difference.
Beyond classroom training, the law now requires employers to run and document emergency drills. You have to do at least two drills a year. One of them *must* be an active threat simulation, where employees practice lockdown or evacuation for that specific scenario. The second drill can be for something else, like a fire or severe weather. These drills are meant to find the weaknesses in your plan, fix communication problems, and make sure people can actually do their jobs under pressure. A critical step people often miss is the post-drill debrief where you document what went wrong and how you’re going to update the EAP to fix it. While the State Board of Workers’ Compensation doesn’t enforce EAP rules directly, you can bet they look at a company’s safety record and compliance with state law when they’re looking at a claim. Strong training strengthens a company’s defense against liability.
Designating an Emergency Preparedness Coordinator
A new, very clear requirement in the amended O.C.G.A. Section 34-7-22 is that every workplace must name an Emergency Preparedness Coordinator. This person (or people, for larger companies) has to be identified in the EAP and have documented training in emergency management. Their job is to oversee the EAP’s creation and upkeep, coordinate all training, schedule and document drills, and be the main contact for emergency services during an actual crisis. This isn’t some title you just hand to an admin. It’s a job with real legal weight. The coordinator needs the authority to make changes and enforce the plan. Their training should go past basic first aid and into things like incident command, risk assessment, and crisis communications. For instance, FEMA offers a bunch of free online courses through its Emergency Management Institute (EMI) that can give someone a good foundation for this role, and while Georgia law doesn’t require those specific certifications, they show you’re taking preparedness seriously.
The coordinator also needs to keep up with local emergency alerts from the City of Roswell and Fulton County. They should know how to get real-time info on weather alerts, road closures, or other local problems that could affect the workplace. Knowing that State Route 9 is shut down could be critical for getting employees home safely and keeping the business running. This is a proactive job that requires constant attention to both what’s going on inside the company and what threats are outside.
Consequences of Non-Compliance
Ignoring the updated O.C.G.A. Section 34-7-22 will cost you. The Georgia Department of Labor can hit you with fines up to $10,000 per violation. These aren’t just slaps on the wrist. They’re meant to hurt. Willful or repeated violations can lead to even bigger fines and tougher enforcement. On top of the fines, businesses open themselves up to massive civil liability. If there’s an emergency and someone gets hurt or killed because the EAP was bad or non-existent, the employer can be found negligent under O.C.G.A. Section 51-1-6. That could mean huge court judgments, skyrocketing worker’s compensation premiums, and a public relations nightmare. Proactive compliance is far cheaper than the cost of a preventable disaster. We tell our clients to stop thinking of these rules as a burden and start seeing them as essential risk management.
Plus, non-compliance can mess with your insurance. A lot of commercial insurance policies have clauses about following state and federal safety rules. If you’re caught without a proper EAP, your insurer could deny a claim or jack up your premiums. This is about maintaining the long-term financial health of your business, not just dodging some fines. The time to get this done is now, long before the October 1, 2026, deadline. Waiting just makes the risk bigger.
Concrete Steps for Roswell Businesses
Roswell employers need to start reviewing and updating their emergency plans right now. First, pick your Emergency Preparedness Coordinator and get them trained. Second, do a deep audit of your current EAP and compare it line-by-line with the new demands of O.C.G.A. Section 34-7-22, looking for gaps around active threat response and evacuation details. Third, rewrite your EAP so it has all the mandatory parts and is easy to understand. Fourth, create a full training schedule for new hires, annual refreshers, and specialized active threat training, and document every single session. Fifth, plan and run your two required drills, including one for an active threat, and document what you learned and how you improved the EAP because of it. Finally, make sure the EAP is a living document that gets reviewed and updated whenever your building, staff, or local emergency protocols change.
Getting through these new regulations is complicated, and full compliance requires an eye for detail. Roswell businesses shouldn’t hesitate to get legal counsel to look over their updated EAPs and training plans. An outside review can spot vulnerabilities that you might miss internally, giving you another layer of protection. Our experience shows that a small investment in legal advice now can prevent huge financial and legal pain later. Employee safety and business continuity depend on it. The new rules in O.C.G.A. Section 34-7-22 are a major change, and Roswell employers need to respond with a detailed, proactive plan before the October 1, 2026 deadline.
What is the effective date for the amended O.C.G.A. Section 34-7-22?
The amendments became effective on July 1, 2026. Businesses have until October 1, 2026, to get their updated Emergency Action Plans in compliance.
How frequently must employee emergency training be conducted under the new law?
Complete emergency training must be provided when an employee is hired, whenever the EAP is changed, and at least once a year after that. This annual training must include specific instruction on active threat response.
Are small businesses in Roswell exempt from these new emergency preparedness requirements?
No, the law applies to almost every employer in Georgia with at least one employee. Size and industry don’t provide an exemption, and the exceptions are very limited.
What documentation is required for emergency drills?
You have to conduct and document a minimum of two emergency drills every year, with one specifically for an active threat. The documentation needs to show the date, the scenario, who participated, and what you learned or changed in your EAP as a result.
What are the potential penalties for non-compliance with the updated EAP regulations?
Non-compliance can bring fines up to $10,000 per violation from the Georgia Department of Labor, leave you open to civil lawsuits under O.C.G.A. Section 51-1-6, and negatively affect your commercial insurance.
