(ISO: Geneva) -- People at risk, be it from natural disasters, terrorist attacks, or other incidents in daily life, need to be able to take appropriate safety actions based on a proper understanding of the level and nature of the emergency.

Two recently published ISO standards will help organizations responsible for public warning at the local, national, or international level to put in place a structured emergency response informing a targeted risk population.

ISO 22322:2015—“Societal security—Emergency management—Guidelines for public warning,” provides guidelines for developing, managing, and implementing public warning before, during, and after incidents occur.

“Time to communicate is limited and often a specific message involving practical action has to be disseminated to a large group,” says Haruo Hayashi, project leader for the writers of ISO 22322. “Simple procedures that send the message efficiently and create the desired response can save lives, protect health, and prevent major disruptions.”

The purpose of an alert is to attract the attention of people in a developing emergency situation by stimulating the auditory, visual, and tactile senses so they will take appropriate safety actions and seek additional information.

 …