This
article covers preparations to be made for natural disasters, including
types of emergencies and disaster relief, earthquake kits, eartrhquake
insurance, batteries, battery radios, flashlights, hurricanes, fires,
emergency plans, disaster insurance, business security.
Disasters such as Hurricane Katrina make us realize how
important written emergency plans are for businesses of all
sizes.
Plans should cover three types of emergencies:
GRADE 1 those natural or
man made disasters ( Fires, hurricanes, tidal waves) which DESTROY
GRADE 2 Blackouts, snowstorms,
severe fog/smog which can shut down businesses
Grade 3
Personal emergencies, death or serious accidents within the business
which can cause disruption
BEFORE emergency plans are written
visits should be made to the landlord, (if applicable) and
the local Police, Fire and City officials involved in
disaster planning, most cities have such plans available to the public.
Talk to neighboring businesses, maybe sharing resources (generators,
snow movers) might be an option
If residences are close to businesses owners should be made aware of
such emergency plans.
RECORDS... protection is very
important, all critical data should be backed up daily and kept in
separate locations where possible.
INSURANCE...make sure you fully
understand what your coverage you have, it is always a good
idea to deal with an agent familiar with YOUR
business, he should know all the necessary riders and umbrellas
necessary for your type of business.
Find out how to communicate with the agent under emergency situations
at any time , day or night.
EMPLOYEES
The safety of employees (and customers) is
paramount during emergencies.
Make sure everybody understands evacuation procedures, knows where to
go and who to call.
Communicating with employees is important.
Create wallet cards that list important instructions and phone numbers
in the event of an emergency.
Look at creating a "CHAIN CALL SYSTEM" to help relay
important messages to employees during trying times.
You will also want to have a safe alternate location where your
employees can meet in the event of a disaster.
Wages need to be paid during emergencies, make sure those responsible
for payroll have a plan.
EMERGENCY CHECKLISTS
Here are some helpful lists so you can
start preparing an emergency plan for your business today!
EMERGENCY PLAN CHECKLIST
Your business's role in the plan vis a
vis fire department and police department.
Know who is in charge of the various city agencies during different
kinds of emergencies.
Contact landlord(s)
Contact managers and employees
Make sure Security Department has a written plan to protect employees,
customers and company assets.
Contact nearby businesses about what will happen during an emergency.
Contact Your bank
Contact your suppliers
Have emergency power available (Portable generators)
Have an uninterruptible power supply for cash registers and
computers
Checking Insurance Coverage
Make sure you are fully insured for
emergencies
Discuss ALL coverage with your agent, make sure you have "Replacement"
in your poilcy in case your business building is a total loss.
Purchase additional riders, if necessary, for my
business (such as flood and business interruption insurance).
Find out how your insurance company appraisers respond to
emergencies and what you can expect during an emergency.
I discussed how my replacement policy works and what I must do to
receive a replacement insurance payout.
Understand your liabilities if you open your store(s) during a declared
emergency.
Know ALL the limitations of my insurance, how my insurer will respond
to a disaster and what kinds of problems I can expect during an
emergency.
EMPLOYEE PROTECTION
Have a safe place for employees to meet.
Have current employee contact information.
Create a "Chain Call System" if there are multiple stores
SECURITY...
The
security department (or outside company) is fully trained in our
emergency plan operations.
Duplicate copies of ALL important documents are stored off site
Daily transaction records are backed up automatically, copies are kept
off site
ALL locations are up to code in EVERY respect
Company Trucks have alternative fuel supply depots
Have a written diagram of the room where compressors operate and have
each compressor clearly marked as to which department (meat, produce
etc) it cools/heats
Have emergency lighting and commercial quality, battery
operated, radios and flashlights at ALL locations
Have good quality pictures of ALL equipment (computers, cash registers,
fork lifts et al) at ALL locations on file off site
Check emergency plans annually and update as needed.