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Get Ready!
Business Preparedness
Whether you are a
business owner, a manager or an employee, make sure you know what to do
in the case of an emergency. Every business should have an emergency
plan; it can save lives, assets and even the business itself. By
planning today you will help protect your business investment and your
livelihood, but will also support your employees, customers and
stakeholders, the community, the local economy and the country.
Plan to Stay in Business:
This overview is designed to help owners and managers begin to think
about business preparedness.
1. Know the risks
facing your business
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Complete a
continuity of operations plan that includes essential functions,
critical business partners, alternate sites and vendors, a method
for payroll continuity, an emergency planning team, a crisis
management team and a means for reviewing plans annually.
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Emergency plans for
employees should address how to communicate before, during and after
an emergency, employees with disabilities and a schedule to practice
and update plans.
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Encourage employees
to have personal and business emergency kits.
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Discuss
sheltering-in-place versus evacuating.
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Prepare for fire safety and medical emergencies.
2. Talk to your people
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Involve all levels
of employees in the planning process. Develop internal communication
and warning systems, setup a way for staff to get emergency
information, encourage alternate transportation and maintain staff
contact information.
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Practice the plan
(including evacuating and sheltering-in-place) through seminars,
trainings, tabletop exercises and walk throughs. Evaluate and
revise plans and keep training records.
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Promote family
preparedness to staff.
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Write a crisis
communication plan to use during and after a disaster. This should
deal with employees, management, public, customers, government and
other businesses/neighbors.
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Support employee health and recovery after a disaster
by offering food, rest and recreation. Encourage employees to seek
care when needed, reassure them their families will be taken care
of, re-establish routines, offer counseling, limit stress and take
care of yourself.
3. Protect you
investment:
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Review insurance
coverage to clarify what is (not) covered, deductibles, how you will
pay creditors and employees, how to provide your own income and what
records are needed.
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Prepare for utility
disruptions by determining what utilities are critical, learning how
to turn off utilities, obtaining portable generators, setting up
backup communications and internet access and addressing food
storage issues.
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Ensure facilities
are secure by testing fire extinguishers and smoke detectors,
marking escape routes, assessing security and fire systems, planning
for mail safety, identifying essential equipment and complying with
safety codes.
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Secure your
equipment by attaching it to walls (when possible), putting heavy or
breakable items on low shelves, moving workstations away from
windows and keeping electrical hazards off of the floor.
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Assess building air
protection by maintaining your HVAC system, developing HVAC
shut-down procedures, securing and limiting access to outdoor intake
lines, upgrading the building’s filtration system and installing
HEPA filter fan.
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Improve cyber security by using anti-virus software,
practicing good computer safety, use firewalls, backing-up data,
checking security regularly and subscribing to the national cyber
alert system.
(Source: U.S. Department of Homeland Security – ReadyBusiness)
For More Information, Please Visit:
Emergency Readiness
Information
McHenry County Online ~
MCDH Online
McHenry County Department of Health
2200 N Seminary Ave, Annex A
Woodstock, Illinois 60098
Telephone (815) 334-4510
Fax (815) 338-7661
© COPYRIGHT 2006 MCDHPREPARE.INFO
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