What Does Emergency Preparedness Look Like for Your Business?

Whether you run a business, are thinking of starting one, or just want to make sure that your company is safe in the event of an emergency, there are some important factors to consider.  Emergencies can be as simple as a power outage or as damaging as a natural disaster. There are plenty of ways to protect your team and your assets during an emergency or sudden event. Here’s what emergency preparedness can look like in your business.

Emergency Preparedness Looks Different for Each Business

In the broadest sense, emergency preparedness is a concept that can encompass everything from building codes to employee training. While the term “emergency” may conjure images of natural disasters such as hurricanes or earthquakes, most emergencies are man-made in nature—and they can happen just about anywhere and at any time. For example, a food truck catches on fire while cooking burgers, someone slips and falls at a company retreat outside of town, and an employee loses his/her keys, locking them out of the office building until someone arrives with replacement keys or picks up copies from another location.

It’s very possible that unexpected events could occur that could affect your business as well, whether it’s an earthquake, hurricane, or another type of natural disaster. It’s important to have a plan in place that covers all areas of your business and employee needs. This will help ensure the safety and well-being of you and your employees as well as your customers and property.

Consider All Potential Emergencies

In order to really think through your emergency preparedness strategy, you’ll want to consider the following. What can’t you afford to lose? What is most important for your business? What can and cannot be replaced? Do you have adequate insurance to cover the damage?

Business Property

First, there’s your business property. You need to protect your physical items and location. This may mean having a dual fuel generator to keep the lights on when the power goes out. It might mean keeping flashlights at different spots near your employee workstations. It could mean having a communications plan in place to tell your staff when they can board up windows, bring computers home, or unplug electronics in case of flood risk.

Understand What Financial Losses Could Occur

In an emergency, you may lose productivity hours along with actual physical assets. Consider what financial losses you may face if something happens, and how you can protect yourself from that risk.

What does your business do? For example, if the electric grid goes down for an extended period of time and your business is dependent on it being up and running, then there could be a significant financial loss. Think about what types of emergencies could affect your business. Consider natural disasters like earthquakes or floods as well as man-made crises like terrorist attacks or power outages that are due to extreme weather conditions.

Protect Your Staff

Finally, take a look at your employees and what you can do to ensure that they are protected during an emergency situation. What if you have a plan for how to get people out of the building, but there is no way for them to leave? It’s best not only to make sure that all exits are clearly marked and easily accessible in case of an emergency but also to make sure that employees know where these exits are located in case they need them. If you know a hurricane is coming, give your employees ample time to leave the area so they can get home and prepare their families. In the event of a shelter-in-place situation, make sure you keep snacks and other food available for them to eat if they end up stuck for multiple days.

Create a Robust Plan

When it comes to emergency preparedness, you can’t have a one-size-fits-all strategy. That’s why you need a plan that’s customized for your business. If an emergency happens while you’re at work, having an escape route mapped out will help keep everyone safe and calm—and ready to evacuate if necessary. It’s also important to keep detailed records of all your business assets so that if something does happen, the insurance company can pay out quickly and get the repairs underway immediately.