“Many emergencies may never happen, but you still have to be prepared for if they do.”

That’s the advice from our risk advisory expert, Chad Tisonik. He created a short video to help you understand how to make an emergency plan before you have even had an emergency. If your employees are already trained on the procedures and solutions for each type of emergency, you have a much higher chance of bouncing back and keeping your business afloat.

What does an emergency plan need to include to be successful?

According to Professional Safety Journal, 88% of small businesses surveyed reported that they are inadequately prepared for disasters. Disasters come in all forms. They can be natural or industrial, expected or spontaneous, but whatever kind of disaster you plan for, be sure to include the Four P’s:

People

Your people need to be your first priority in terms of any safety program. You need to plan how you will communicate an emergency, and train them on the proper procedures to follow for each type of emergency that may occur.

Property

Attention to your property and environment will help you identify any potential hazards before they become emergencies. Take time to conduct safety audits and make sure your employees are trained on controlling the hazardous substances in their workplace. List possible exposures to property loss or damage and address each one in your emergency planning strategy.

Public

These days it seems like the news media team arrives almost faster than emergency services. Reputational risk management is an important part of a disaster plan!  Make sure you have an appointed spokesperson to speak on behalf of the company and keep the message clear and direct. Part of your emergency plan should also ensure that your neighbors are kept from harm, including what to do if hazardous emissions and chemical could be released.

Perpetuation

What will you business need to survive after an emergency? If your facility is destroyed, can you share with another or rent a facility? Do you protect critical documents off-site and back-up your databases daily? Consider everything you would need to keep doing business, and how you would face these issues in the event of an emergency.

Want more safety tips? Tune in for our safety webinar tomorrow at 10 a.m. CDT on “Safety Basics for the Non-Safety Professional.”