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Here’s Why Your Business Needs a Disaster Plan
4/17/2019 (Permalink)
We are always on the look out for our community to make sure they are safe, and ready for when disaster strikes. Would your business be prepared to face all that Mother Nature can throw at it through floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and earthquakes? The most important key to survive these natural disasters is to be prepared for these situations. Being prepared for those situations involves creating a natural disaster plan for your business, and we are using this blog to list some aspects to consider when designing that plan.
There are many things you will need to consider when developing a disaster plan for your business.
Some of the things you need to include in your considerations should be:
- Ways to protect your employees
- Ways to secure your assets
- Getting your business back up and running again
Many checklists have been made available through sources like the Red Cross, FEMA and Ready.gov that offer information that will help you identify areas that need to be included in your natural disaster preparedness plan. These sources will also help you see just how prepared you truly are.
If disaster were to strike without warning, that very disaster plan could be the difference between life, and death. Hence it is important to have a plan in place that lays out procedures and safety measures for employees, and visitors to follow. Ensure that evacuation routes, and exits from your facility are all clearly marked, and visible, identify an area that will serve as a shelter, consider the installation of emergency lighting, and have designated staff “safety wardens” properly trained that will be ready and able to guide, and assist with all emergency efforts.
When picking out a shelter space, a basement or storm cellar is ideal in case of tornadoes or other high-wind situations. If you have no basement space, find a small interior room on the lowest level of the building, such as a closet or interior hallway.
Even if the business is located in a brick and mortar location, there will be decisions that need to be made concerning protecting the assets inside the building like equipment or merchandise, for example. Everything is at risk when a natural disaster strikes.
Always have a comprehensive, and up-to-date inventory of these items, and if possible, take photographs prior to a disaster as this is always helpful if insurance claims will have to be made. If you keep your assets stored on a computer server, take the steps necessary to ensure that your backup system is doing regular backups and utilize a cloud storage system, which cannot be damaged.
If you own your building, contact a contractor to uncover areas needing structural integrity improvements, who can walk you through possible safety upgrades and offer advice on any areas that may not withstand certain weather situations.
Natural disasters can cause businesses to shut down for days or months until repairs can be made and structures are safe enough to enter and resume business. Every day you remain closed is another day of lost profits. Take precautions and set up an emergency fund to cover any additional costs that your insurance may not cover.
Locate and establish a relationship with a list of contractors who would be available for construction matters, and find a cleanup and restoration service that will be available to quickly respond to your emergency situation.
With SERVPRO of McAllen, you can count on us to get to the disaster faster, and make it "Like it never even happened". Our training, and expertise have prepared us to help with water damage, storm damage, fire damage, and mold remediation quickly, and effectively.
Knowing what to do when disaster strikes your business is of the utmost importance. When it comes to the cleanup & restoration aspects. You can depend on SERVPRO of McAllen to be there for you.