Wally Wise Guy's Wise Words of the Week: Prepare Your Business For Any Emergency

Develop a continuity plan for your business or organization by taking five simple steps:

• Assess the Hazards That Could Affect Your Organization: Identify the hazards most likely to affect your organization and plan for those first. Consider the potential impacts of all hazards when developing emergency plans, such as whether your facility is vulnerable to flooding, or how a power outage might affect your organization’s ability to do business or provide services.
• Plan to Stay Open: How quickly your company or organization can resume normal operations after a fire, flood, or other emergency depends on emergency planning. Start by outlining how you will preserve or restore critical functions.
• Talk to Your People: One of the best methods to ensure your organization’s recovery is to provide for your coworkers’ well-being. Communicate regularly with employees before, during, and after an incident.
• Protect your Investment: In addition to protecting your employees, it is important to safeguard your organization’s physical assets.
• Know how to Respond: Almost every business or organization is required by law to have an Emergency Action Plan (EAP). The EAP details how your business will address life safety issues in an emergency. If fire extinguishers are required or provided in your workplace, and if anyone will be evacuating during a fire or other emergency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires you to have an EAP.