Disaster Preparation

Being Mentally Prepared for Emergencies

Would you know what to do if an emergency occurred while you were on the job? Do you know what actions to take if a co-worker was seriously injured, a fire ignited, an earthquake or a tornado hit?

Are you prepared to react? Emergencies and disasters are a reality of everyday life. Too many lives are lost and property is damaged because no one was prepared to properly react when immediate decisions and actions counted. A good start in learning how to respond to an emergency is through certification in Basic First Aid and CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation). These courses teach important skills. But even more important than the first aid skills gained, they teach how to respond to an emergency. Programs offered by organizations such as the highly respected American Red Cross teach people about the kind of situations or conditions that might precipitate an emergency. Knowing what to look for and how to react could save the life of a co-worker or family member.

Your company should have an emergency action plan. Review it periodically, and be aware of what steps to follow when calling for emergency help. Know the course of action to take in likely emergencies at your facility. This will improve your safety awareness in everything you do.

Being mentally aware is also your best preparation for a potential emergency. Analyze beforehand what to do if one of your coworkers is injured, and if that injury is life threatening. Know how to protect yourself, your coworkers and the company in case of an emergency.

Chances are, during a crisis, you won’t have much time to plan the best possible action— so make those decisions ahead of time. When an emergency does occur, it is your responsibility to be mentally ready.

Regular workplace self-inspections are an essential part of any accident prevention program. An effective self-inspection program relies on thorough, periodic evaluations of hazards throughout the workplace as well as consistent follow-up to assure that any unnecessary hazards are resolved as quickly as possible. The best way to ensure that your program meets these criteria is to use self-inspection checklists. A self-inspection checklist assists you in performing consistent inspections. By using a self-inspection checklist you can track whether conditions are improving or worsening and isolate the causes of those changes.

 

10 Business Recovery Considerations

Preparing your company for a disaster is important for any business.  The following 10 items are the top things we recommend any company do to ensure your properly prepared for a disaster:

1. Emergency Company Contact List. Keep an updated phone list of your employees, the building owner, facility manager, computer and equipment specialists, customers, vendors and other whom you may need to contact.  This list should be kept on a portable hard drive away from your business premises.

2. Phone System. If you phones are down, customers and employees cannot contact you.  Make sure you can access your phone system from an off-site location.  Provide call forwarding so customers and employees can contact your business.

3. Computer Back Up. Are your business data and records backed up and safe? Schedule daily backups of all important electronic data.  Set up off-site storage for all important data.  Consider investing in cloud-based software.

4. Company Inventory.  Take inventory of all your company’s assets.  Make an inventory list with photos of equipment, furniture, computers and vehicles.  Keep a list of the costs and receipts when possible.

5. Stock/Supplies/Cash. Do you have enough stock or supplies to keep you going if your suppliers or resources are interrupted for a time?  Consider stocking up on items you know you will be in need of.  Make sure that you have emergency cash or credit available to handle any financial needs.

6. Business Insurance. Review your policy.  Besides covering the physical assets of the company, ensure you have enough business interruption insurance to cover any losses.

7. Consider Off-site Work Locations. What if your business is closed because it is badly damaged or you cannot get to your business if the streets are closed?  Explore having an alternative work location available before something happens.

8. Employee Needs. Have your employees contact their families and make sure they are safe and taken care of.  This will give your employees peace of mind so they can focus on running your business.

9. Good Communication. Stay in contact with your employees, customers, vendors, insurance companies and key people who are important to your business success.

10. Emergency Response Contacts. After the disaster, have a pre-determined list of emergency agencies such as the police, fire department, Red Cross and local hospitals.