Hurricanes can be dangerous and cause major damage and power outages that may impact business operations for a short time or a significant duration until normalcy is restored. This is why managers and owners need to have a hurricane preparedness plan in place that keeps staff informed about what actions will be taken should a disaster strike. Let’s get into 6 important steps for ensuring your business is ready to handle the situation.
- Create an Actionable Hurricane Preparedness Plan
Create a document listing the procedures that should be followed after a hurricane. The plan should clearly list each team members role when a storm is approaching, during the event and after it passes. Things to include are duties such as shutting off equipment, communicating with vendors and suppliers and building security. - Keep Power Generators on Hand
Generators provide your business and equipment for power that may allow you to continue certain operations after a hurricane cause a power outage. Unless you want to implement a complete operational shutdown, having generators included in your hurricane disaster plan is a must. Obtaining one just prior to, during or after a storm can be next to impossible due to demand. - Backup Data on the Cloud
Losing data and key documents due to a storm or damaged equipment can be a real problem for your business. However, data doesn’t have to be lost forever if you choose to include keeping it backed up on a secondary platform like cloud-based storage. This plan will give you remote access to the information, even if you cannot be physically in your business. - Have a List of Emergency Contacts for Your Team
After gathering a list of emergency resources and contacts, such as utility companies, hospitals, emergency services and other key assistance providers, make a copy of this document for each staff member and distribute it to them. - Establish an Evacuation Plan
Should the hurricane be particularly dangerous and long-lasting, employees will need a way to get off the property. This requires having a plan that includes assembly points, evacuation routes and allow for the accounting of each person on the premises. Practicing the evacuation procedures ensures that the plan can be followed appropriately. - Provide Staff with Proper Hurricane Preparedness
Personnel should be provided with training for a hurricane preparedness plan to be truly effective. Make sure they know the plan concerning what action to take at each stage of a storm. Performing drills routinely before hurricane season is especially important. However, consider running through the plan with them during the season as well.
Be Ready for the Storm with A Thorough Hurricane Preparedness Plan
While hurricanes occur more frequently in certain regions, they can happen anywhere making having a plan in place a must for all businesses. Get your company and team ready with generators, emergency contacts, data backups, evacuation planning and training to allow business to continue after a hurricane. Waiting until a storm approaches is too late and can leave you in a bad situation.
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