When a natural disaster strikes, from a hurricane, wildfire, earthquake, flood, or something else, employers are suddenly faced with a reality that goes far beyond business continuity. Employees may be dealing with trauma, loss, dislocation, or physical injury. Even those who were spared the worst can be deeply affected by the devastation around them.
This is why emergency planning for business is critical. Instead of wondering how to respond, your proactive efforts will have a plan ready to be launched that will help support employees and keep your business afloat.
From assessing risks and creating an emergency plan to communicating effectively and protecting your employees, here's how to prepare your staff for an emergency.
The first step in any robust emergency preparedness strategy is making a thorough assessment of risks and hazards. Which natural hazards are likely to strike in your geographic location? Floods, wildfires, hurricanes, blizzards, tornadoes, and earthquakes can all cause catastrophic problems that disrupt operations and endanger lives. Tools like FEMA hazard maps can help you assess geographic risks more accurately.
Human-caused hazards add another layer of complexity to emergency preparedness. Accidents, acts of violence, and terrorism are all potential threats that you must consider, as well as construction vulnerabilities and public access that could exacerbate them. Recognizing these risks allows you to develop comprehensive safety systems and protocols to mitigate their impact.
Technology-related hazards are becoming increasingly prevalent in today’s digital age. Failures or malfunctions of systems, equipment, or software can cripple your business operations. Your disaster planning needs to account for these technology-related hazards, particularly if your company lacks security features that could minimize them.
A thorough assessment of risks and hazards lays a strong foundation for any preparedness plan.
As part of your emergency planning, you should include evacuation plans, shelter-in-place measures, and emergency supplies.
In case of an emergency, employees need to know evacuation procedures and where to seek shelter. But it's not enough to simply establish procedures; these plans must be regularly reviewed, communicated, and updated to ensure employees are prepared when disaster occurs.
Create emergency contact lists in case you are unable to access your company's system for employee contact information. Generate system backups regularly and store data offsite to ensure that critical information remains accessible even if the primary location is compromised.
Gather first aid supplies and enough food and water for each onsite employee to be sustained for at least three days. Ensure these supplies are readily accessible and maintained in good condition by rotating them every 12 months.
Even a small business should have a comprehensive business preparedness plan to enhance their company's resilience and ability to recover from disasters.
As a good rule of thumb, emergency kits should include:
Maintain an inventory of your emergency supplies and ensure they are regularly checked and replenished. Preparing your emergency supplies in advance will help relieve any unnecessary stress in case of disaster.
Is your phone system compliant with emergency calling regulations? Kari’s Law requires that callers can dial 911 directly to reach public safety, with no additional digits or prefixes required. This means:
If your phone system is not currently set up this way, contact your internal communications or IT department to get your system updated and compliant.
When developing your disaster plan, consult local authorities for additional resources, information, and contact info for emergency personnel who perform rescue and medical duties. Their insights, assistance, and experience will make your emergency management planning much smoother.
A business continuity plan is how you maintain business operations during and after a disaster. This business plan ensures that critical operations continue, even when there are disruptions to your primary facility.
Backing up data offsite is a key component of business continuity planning. Having offsite recovery solutions enables your business to quickly restore critical data and maintain operations, even in the face of cyber threats or natural disasters. Regularly scheduled backups further reduce your chances of significant data loss.
Geographically diverse offsite backups provide an additional layer of protection when disasters are localized. Spreading backups across multiple locations helps ensure your company's data remains safe and accessible, regardless of the nature of the disaster.
Another key aspect to business continuity planning is having remote work capabilities. If employees are unable to work onsite temporarily, having the ability to work remotely enables your business to maintain its operations.
As part of your communication plan, you should define roles and responsibilities to know who the designated spokesman is for consistent messaging to employees, stakeholders, and customers. Communicate updates about how the disaster has affected your business, along with the status of products and services.
You can use a mass notification system, email, and social media to communicate your message. These channels ensure that emergency preparedness information is disseminated widely and promptly.
Protecting employees is a critical aspect of any emergency preparedness strategy. Security protocols such as access control and emergency lockdowns are essential for safeguarding your people and your company's property.
Involve employees in emergency planning to help them gain a sense of ownership and collective responsibility. Provide regular training to ensure they understand their roles during an emergency. Include drills and exercises that help employees become familiar with safety systems, fire extinguishers, and emergency procedures to reduce confusion and promote timely decision-making.
Create a communication hierarchy that outlines roles to make sure everyone is accounted for and to facilitate efficient information flow, from status updates to how employees can report to work. Today's world allows for more than a telephone calling tree to communicate; you can use multiple channels such as your company's intranet, text, email, and social media.
Knowing and understanding your insurance policies will help you understand what is and is not covered. If a specific risk is prevalent in your area but not covered on any of your policies, you may want to contact your insurance agent to obtain a supplemental policy.
Be familiar with the claims process so you know how to proceed after disaster strikes. To maximize your financial protection, maintain an inventory of existing and new equipment to ensure all physical assets are accounted for. Take pictures and videos of those assets, including receipts for purchases and repairs.
Comprehensive emergency planning is a multi-faceted approach that ensures your business remains resilient in the face of various risks and hazards. By assessing risks, developing well thought-out preparedness plans, establishing business continuity plans, protecting employees, and leveraging technology, businesses can safeguard their operations and ensure long-term success.
Don't rely on having access to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance; take the steps today to protect and prepare your business for an emergency. For more information, please contact your certified Stratus HR rep.
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Source:
https://www.ready.gov/business/emergency-plans