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Would Your Business Be Prepared in Case of Emergency? | SERVPRO® of Western Dutchess County
5/9/2019 (Permalink)
You can never be too prepared when it comes to protecting your business in Dutchess County.
Of all the many things that must be taken care of when running a business in Poughkeepsie, Beacon, Hopewell Junction or Fishkill, one of the most important factors to think about is emergency preparedness.
While creating and developing an emergency preparedness plan cannot stop all disasters, it can still give your business a jump-start where safety is concerned and will, at least, ensure that your employees know what to do if a disaster or emergency situation should occur.
Have you made it a priority to take the time to sit down and work out an emergency preparedness plan for various disaster situations? If not, now is the time to do it!
There are numerous emergencies your business should have a preparedness plan in place for, including:
- Fire
- Severe weather, including thunderstorms and winter storms
- Other natural hazards like floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes
- Human-caused hazards, including accidents or acts of violence
- Technology-related issues like power outages and equipment failure
An emergency or disaster is just that, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a man-made incident or one stemming from nature. If there is no emergency plan for your business in place, the situation could get even more dangerous quickly.
You should make sure that safety training and familiarization of emergency preparedness plans are included in the company on-boarding process, team-building activities and continuing education opportunities. By helping employees familiarize themselves with proper safety protocol and emergency procedures, you’re not only giving them the tools to protect themselves, but you are also setting them up to help protect guests/visitors and the business itself.
As you begin to set up an emergency plan for your business, stop and evaluate which scenarios, even the long shots, could occur. After all, it’s better to be prepared for anything and not be caught off guard.
You can find plenty of resources online to aid and guide you through this process, including Ready.gov, the American Red Cross, FEMA and the CDC.
You might also want to consider conducting a business impact analysis (BIA) to aid in predicting the potential effect a disaster may have on your business. This would include lost or delayed sales and income, increased expenses from repairs, and delayed implementation of business plans. Don’t forget to make sure a crisis communications plan is in place, too.
Be sure that you review and practice your emergency preparedness plan with your employees once you have one completed. By reviewing and rehearsing various scenarios, you are ensuring the process remains fresh in their minds and can help employees feel more empowered.
Disaster can strike when you least expect it, but by being prepared and having a plan in place, your business will be better suited to handle whatever Mother Nature has in store. If the worst should happen and your business is damaged, know that SERVPRO® of Western Dutchess County is here to help make it “Like it never even happened.” No matter the time, we're here 24/7 (845)831-3600.