Preparing for a natural disaster should be a formality for all businesses. Who knows when a flood, earthquake or tornado will occur and result in your place of business getting damaged in some manner? Therefore, prepare your company for a natural disaster by including the following steps. The implementation of these methods may not come to fruition, but it is smart business sense to be prepared.
Steps
- Find out what is available for insurance coverage when it comes to natural disasters. Confirm with your agent what is covered under your current policy and make sure you are satisfied with it. Only you know what you need to determine that you are prepared for what could occur, whether it is a flood, hurricane, tornado or whatever natural disaster is applicable regionally.
- Assign one of your current employees the position of safety controller in your plan for natural disaster preparedness. This person will be responsible for all aspects of emergency administration, from posting emergency materials throughout the office to coordinating fire exercises and evacuation strategies. Responsibilities also include arranging the installation and maintenance of safety, first aid, and emergency equipment. Expect that first aid and CPR training are arranged and that refresher courses are repeated annually.
- Set up an emergency protocol for your employees to follow in case of a natural disaster. You could set up their smartphones with an emergency message service that directs your employees regarding work and emergency services. You could also request that your employees call in so you can be sure that they are safe.
- Establish a backup plan that will allow you to continue business even in the event of a natural disaster at work. For example, set up a home office, and make sure your employees are just as equipped. Invest in technology that not only allows you and your employees to stay in touch, but that allows everyone to work on the move. Opt for setting everyone up with a smartphone so that even if the office building is out of commission in a natural disaster, business will still be up and running.
- Make a policy of backing up business files to an off-site server. You can set up your own server or pay a backup service, just as long as the method you choose is secure and reliable. With the technology available these days, there is no reason why a business would become incapacitated during a natural disaster because of a failure to backup files.
- Recognize that all businesses are vulnerable to a natural disaster and that even if there has never been one in your region, you should still be prepared by implementing an emergency strategy at work.
