Companies that recover most quickly after emergencies are the ones that are prepared and able to carry out their emergency plans. It’s critical for every company to have a comprehensive emergency preparedness strategy. Here are five steps to help you get started:
Plan and prepare now to help you weather the stormy season ahead.
1. Gather a team
Your first task is to assemble an emergency preparedness team. Include representatives from many different areas of your business, including operations, management, human resources, engineering and maintenance, safety, security, public relations, sales and marketing, legal, finance and purchasing. You’ll also want to involve external sources, like utility companies, local government agencies, emergency personnel and key vendors. They can contribute valuable information about procedures, services and disaster relief.
2. Cover all the bases
Do some homework and find out which
weather disasters are most common in your areas of operation so you can adequately plan for them. Your insurance company is a good source for facts about risk and loss. Speaking of insurance, make sure you have enough of it. Ask your carrier for details about flood coverage — an area that many businesses overlook. To document your assets for reimbursement purposes, conduct an inventory of building systems and equipment, and snap some digital photos to keep on file. You’ll also want to make copies of important documents, such as facility maps and plans,
insurance policies, employee contact and identification information, bank account records, supplier and shipping contact lists, computer data and emergency contacts. Store them in a waterproof, fireproof portable container.
3. Make a plan
An evacuation plan is an indispensable part of your emergency preparedness efforts, because it identifies how occupants will exit the building and reach safety. Make this vital information easily available by posting floor plans with evacuation routes, identifying several exit strategies in case some are blocked. Include plans for handling power outages, water treatment, food safety and other issues. And prepare for more serious situations by working through details required to set up an emergency operating center, media briefing area, shelter, first aid stations and sanitation facilities. Be sure to address the special needs of disabled or non-English-speaking personnel. To keep the business up and running,
develop emergency protocols in critical areas, such as operations, payroll, accounting, power generation and fulfillment. Identify essential staff needed for a shoestring operation, and create a succession-of-management list so it is clear at all times who is in charge.
4. Practice your plan
Trial runs and tests will allow you to uncover and address any problems before a disaster hits. Training is also essential to the success of your plan. Employees must know where to go, what to do, how to use available tools, and how to respond when things don’t go as planned. It’s also important to keep your plan up to date. Here are some tasks to include on your yearly to-do list:
- Conduct property and equipment inspections.
- Review and update emergency plans.
- Make repairs and make sure equipment is properly maintained.
- Conduct a drill; train employees or first responders.
- Update contact information for vital services.
- Check emergency supplies.
5. Get back to basics
In an emergency, you’ll need basic supplies, gear and first aid tools, so make sure they’re ready and waiting. Recommended emergency reserves include the following:
You may also want to consider making arrangements for portable pumps, alternate power sources and battery-powered emergency lighting.
Clear skies ahead
Weather emergencies can strike any time, any place in the world. They can claim lives and bring businesses screeching to a halt. The best way to protect your employees, your business and your bottom line is to respond to them before they happen.
Sources: Publications of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the American Red
Cross and the National Weather Service.
Grainger provides assistance and resources to help you prepare for an emergency.
Webinar series: Once you’ve weathered the storm, this webinar discusses how businesses can stay in business after an emergency. Register today!
