12 questions. One practical next step.
Take the Interactive Readiness Test →
Get your score automatically, see your strongest and weakest areas, and find a practical next step matched to your answers. Free, about five minutes, and no email required. Or use the self-score checklist below.
Could your team show you what happens next—or would they have to guess? Use this free HSS Readiness Score Challenge for a workplace, church, ministry or volunteer team. Allow about five minutes, then choose one improvement you can act on.
Prepared. Practical. Accountable.
HOW TO TAKE THE CHALLENGE
This is a self-scoring checklist: keep a running total on paper or your phone. Answer for your actual location and team. For churches, include volunteers, children, ministries and event arrangements where relevant.
2 points — Demonstrated: current, understood and checked in practice.
1 point — Partly in place: written or discussed, but inconsistent or untested.
0 points — Not in place: missing or not usable yet.
0 points — Not sure: mark it for verification. Uncertainty does not prove something is missing.
Give each question one answer. Add each pair for an area score out of 4, then total all 12 answers out of 24. If you want a score out of 100, divide your total by 24 and multiply by 100.
1. SPEAK UP & RESPOND
1) Can employees or volunteers explain how to report a hazard, threat or safeguarding concern—including another route if their usual supervisor or leader is involved?
2) Can the team explain how to respond calmly to escalating behavior, when to disengage and how to get appropriate help?
Area score: ___ / 4
2. EMERGENCY ROLES
3) Can people identify who calls emergency services, the exact site address to give and how responders will reach the incident?
4) Can people explain the alarm, evacuation or shelter procedure, assistance needs and how everyone is accounted for? For churches, include children, attendees and safe reunification.
Area score: ___ / 4
Priority check: If question 3 or 4 is “Not in place” or “Not sure,” verify emergency procedures and responsibilities with appropriate leaders first, regardless of your total. Buying a resource does not resolve that gap by itself.
3. CLEAR DOCUMENTATION
5) Could someone who was not present understand a sample incident report: the timeline, observed facts, statements, actions and notifications?
6) Do people know how to promptly record concerns and securely route and store reports or evidence, with access limited to appropriate people?
Area score: ___ / 4
4. PRACTICE & TRAINING
7) Have employees or volunteers practiced a relevant scenario since the last significant change and demonstrated their roles, rather than only attending a briefing?
8) Are onboarding, refresher practice and procedures reviewed when people, hazards, facilities or operations change, with someone checking applicable requirements?
Area score: ___ / 4
5. FOLLOW-THROUGH
9) Does every identified gap or corrective action have a named owner, a due date and a route for overdue issues?
10) Does someone check that a fix actually works before closing it, then review repeat issues and follow up with affected people appropriately?
Area score: ___ / 4
6. DAILY READINESS
11) Are current procedures, responsibilities and contacts easy to find, with backups when the usual leader is absent? For churches, include service/event roles, access and child check-in and authorized pickup.
12) Are site-opening checks and checks of applicable emergency equipment assigned, recorded and acted on, with qualified help used where needed?
Area score: ___ / 4 • Total: ___ / 24
WHAT YOUR SCORE SUGGESTS
0–8: Build the basics. Start with emergency arrangements and one clear owner for the next action.
9–16: Make it consistent. Choose your lowest area. Turn a written intention into a repeatable practice.
17–21: Verify the weak spots. Check the evidence behind partial or uncertain answers and practice a realistic scenario.
22–24: Keep testing and improving. Strong answers deserve a second look. Check whether your policies and practice still match current operations.
These are HSS editorial bands for organizing next steps, not a validated risk model. A total of 24/24 or 100/100 does not mean “100% safe,” certify compliance or guarantee performance in an incident. One specific gap still matters.
Keep building your readiness: Join HSS email updates for practical safety tips, readiness reminders, and product and consulting offers. Signup is optional and requires email confirmation. You can use this challenge and see your score without subscribing. Unsubscribe anytime. Your quiz answers are not collected by the signup form.
MATCH YOUR NEXT STEP TO YOUR ANSWERS
Use your lowest area, not just your total. If areas tie, address emergency gaps first, then choose the most relevant concern. Already own the suggested resource? Use it before buying another and check product contents for overlap.
Start free at any score: Before It Becomes an Incident — free Workplace Escalation Field Guide. A practical starting point for recognizing concerns and planning a response.
Speak up & respond: Practice a fictional tense interaction and the reporting route. For workplace tools, explore the De-Escalation & Incident Quick Pack — $19. For a wider church framework, explore the Church Safety & Emergency Readiness System — $39.
Emergency roles or practice & training: Ask people to explain their roles without prompting and record what needs work. Workplace teams can use the HSS READY Starter Pack — $29.99 for three structured safety meetings. Church teams can begin with the Church Emergency Readiness Starter Pack — $19, or use the wider church system above for more extensive planning and exercises.
Clear documentation: Check a fictional report for facts, timeline, statements and actions. Write What Happened — $5.99 provides a concise reporting guide and note-building support.
Follow-through: Assign an owner and date, then decide what evidence proves the fix works. The Management Follow-Through & Verification System — $99 supports corrective actions, verification and routine reviews.
Daily workplace readiness: Walk the site with responsible leaders and check current roles, contacts and procedures. The Workplace Safety Readiness Starter Pack — $39 includes planning, exercise and follow-through tools. Churches can use the church starter pack above for opening checks, roles and a 30-day plan.
SCORED HIGH—EVEN A PERFECT 24?
When were your policies last reviewed against your current operations and applicable requirements?
Reviewed since the last significant change: ask a second person to check the evidence behind your answers and test a new scenario.
People, operations or facilities changed afterward: revisit the affected procedures and practice the changed roles.
Not sure, or no documented review: locate the latest versions, owners and review records before assuming they are current.
Want a second set of eyes? The Safety Readiness Review — $149 introductory price is a virtual review of the documents and information you supply, with a gap report, prioritized recommendations, selected resources and a 30-minute findings discussion. On-site work and travel are not included.
A FOCUSED, LOWER-COST OPTION AT EVERY SCORE
Have one specific non-emergency concern? H.S.S. DIRECT — $19 for the first five purchases provides a personally reviewed written action plan for one concern. Check the product page for availability. A full policy audit, organization-wide review, live call or on-site visit is not included.
Prefer to review the real site and how work happens? Ask HSS about an on-site review. We will discuss your needs and quote the scope and travel separately before commitment.
TURN THE SCORE INTO ONE USEFUL CHANGE
Choose one gap and name the person responsible.
Write down the first action and a target date.
Practice or check the change with the people involved.
Record what worked, what did not and the next check.
Products are optional support tools. No purchase is required to take the challenge. Prices checked September 20, 2026; linked product pages control current price, availability and scope.
About this challenge: This educational self-check uses your own answers. It is not a professional inspection, legal advice, certification or emergency response service. Adapt actions to your site, people, hazards and applicable requirements. For an active emergency, use your emergency procedures and contact emergency services.
Question themes draw on general principles in OSHA education and training, program evaluation and emergency preparedness. These sources do not validate the score or endorse HSS. Requirements can differ for workplaces, churches and volunteers.