The world has been tested time and again by natural disasters and other emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic, but while your business may have a business continuity plan in place, how sure are you that your managers and employees will know exactly what to do in an unexpected emergency?
Whether your region is prone to hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, wildfires, or earthquakes, there are several steps you can take to prepare and protect your business in the event of an emergency:
Create a preparedness team
A great place to start when creating an emergency preparedness program is to create an emergency response team. If, for some reason, your office was inaccessible, who are the people you’d need on hand to ensure your doors remained open? These key employees will make up your emergency response team and will be involved in all steps of the preparedness policy including development, implementation, and assessment.
Identify your weaknesses
The best way to identify your business’s weaknesses is to assess them. Conduct a risk assessment to identify any potential hazards and what could happen in the event of each hazard. Once you’ve identified your risks, analyze the possible ramifications a hazard could have on your business using a business impact analysis (BIA).
Develop a plan
There are several different plans your business may want to develop:
- Emergency Response Plan: This document will outline the steps your business will take in the immediate aftermath of a disaster.
- Crisis Communications Plan: There are likely several key groups you will need to contact after your business has started the disaster response process. This document will list how you will contact your employees, customers, vendors, and any other groups that are affected.
- Business Continuity Plan: Every day your business is disrupted equals lost revenue. This document will outline how your company will operate until it has fully recovered.
- IT Disaster Recovery Plan: How would your business survive losing all of its computers?
Conduct emergency drills
Practice makes perfect. Review the emergency policy with your employees on at least an annual basis, and have regular emergency drills.
Your business may never be the victim of a natural disaster or emergency, or your business may flood tomorrow. Emergencies and disasters are, by nature, unpredictable. The best way you can protect your company is by planning for every contingency now. With the right emergency response, communications, and continuity plans in place, your business will be able to weather almost any storm.
About Us
G&A Partners helps our clients prepare for all kinds of potential risk and safety concerns by developing sound HR policies and procedures. Don’t leave your business unprotected – contact G&A Partners today to learn how we can help you minimize cost, increase productivity and reduce risk.