Disasters, caused by nature or man, can occur with very little warning, and their effects, such as possible employee injury and loss of business, can be devastating to both businesses and employees. Having a disaster preparedness plan in place will help protect the health and safety of employees and minimize loss by ensuring the business returns to normal operations as soon as possible.
The first step of disaster preparedness is to perform a risk assessment that identifies:
- All potential disasters that could occur
- The likelihood that those disasters will occur
- The effect those disasters could have on personnel and business operations
Once those high-risk disasters have been identified and prioritized, plans should be developed and communicated to employees so they know what actions to take before, during and after the disaster. In addition, employees should be encouraged to implement their own disaster preparedness plans at home. The elements of each plan will vary according to the type of disaster and the needs of the business, but common elements might include:
- Review of current insurance to ensure adequate coverage is in place
- Identification of community emergency notification systems (sirens, radio/television broadcasts, etc.) or the implementation of site-specific emergency notification systems
- Evacuation plans
- Coordination with emergency services
- Provisions for emergency kits stocked with adequate supplies
- Managerial commitment to other resources that may be required
- Facility safety evaluations (to be performed before employees return)
- System for communication with employees, customers or the general public (if necessary)
- System for maintaining backups of critical company data (contact lists, financial information, management procedures, legal documents, etc.)
It is crucial to clearly assign responsibility for all tasks performed in the event of a disaster. Each employee should be trained on his/her responsibilities upon assignment and if the responsibilities change. Drills, tabletop exercises and reviews of the disaster preparedness plan should be conducted on a regular basis to ensure the plan remains applicable to the potential disasters and employee training remains current. As the name implies, a disaster preparedness plan will be successful only if an organization is prepared to implement it when it is needed most.
Click here for more information on disasters and disaster preparedness from the Federal Emergency Management Agency or click here to learn more about business-specific disaster preparedness information.