Developing an emergency preparedness preparation is a vital step in ensuring the security of your business. Not having an emergency plan can leave you vulnerable to a large amount of loss. Fortunately, there are a number of resources available to help businesses develop comprehensive plans. A comprehensive plan will include a variety of options to deal with emergencies and provide guidance for employees and management. Here are a few tips to get you started:
o Create a list of potential disasters and scenarios. This is useful in developing your plan and identifying the necessary resources. The plan should address potential hazards and threats and should be in line with your business’s performance objectives. The key is to develop a comprehensive plan that will work regardless of the type of crisis or incident. Listed below are some of the most common disasters. Ensure your plan addresses these types of emergencies and provides a path to recovery for your company.
o Document your emergency plans. Make sure you have the necessary information and resources on hand before an emergency. If your business uses hazardous materials, it should have a plan in place for these. If you use chemicals, it should have a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) that provides the details of all the chemicals in the company. Whether your business has a chemical or not, it should be documented in an emergency response plan.
o Prepare for hurricanes and other emergencies. These disasters can disrupt your business operations. It is essential to incorporate emergency preparedness information into all company communications. For example, your telephone answering machine should be set to record important messages. If you have remote employees, designate an out-of-town number that employees can call. This will make it easier for your employees to contact you even if they are not at their desks.
o Keep your plan updated. Your plan should be reviewed annually. Any changes to your operations can impact your business. In addition, it is important to ensure that your plan addresses the needs of the workforce. You may want to consider hiring an outside consultant to assist you with the development of an EAP. There are many ways to incorporate emergency planning in your business. It is important that you understand the risks of your industry and identify the appropriate plan for your business.
o Create an Emergency Operations Plan. An EAP is a document that specifies who will be involved in a response. It includes a template and suggested content. A plan should also state the first responders a business should contact. If disasters affect its workers, a plan will be crucial in keeping the company running. o Ensure that employees and management are aware of the risks of a disaster.
o One industry that should consider developing a response plan is the maritime industry. The pandemic showed us how volatile this can be and a Maritime Emergency Response plan can help save your business if you are operating in this space.