Emergency Planning for Employees

Your employees are your business's most important and valuable asset. There are some procedures you can put in place before a disaster, but you should also learn about what people need to recover after a disaster. It is possible that your staff will need time to ensure the well-being of their family members, but getting back to work is important to the personal recovery of people who have experienced disasters.

It is important to re-establish routines, when possible.

• Two-way communication is central before, during and after a disaster.
• Include emergency preparedness information in newsletters, on company intranet, periodic employee emails and other internal communications tools.
• Consider setting up a telephone calling tree, a password-protected page on the company website, an email alert or a call-in voice recording to communicate with employees in an emergency.
• Designate an out-of-town phone number where employees can leave an
  "I'm Okay" message in a catastrophic disaster.
• Provide all co-workers with wallet cards detailing instructions on how to get company information in an emergency situation. Include telephone numbers or Internet passwords for easy reference.
• Maintain open communications where co-workers are free to bring questions and concerns to company leadership.
• Ensure you have established staff members who are responsible for communicating regularly to employees.
• Talk to co-workers with disabilities. If you have employees with disabilities ask about what assistance is needed. People with disabilities typically know what assistance they will need in an emergency.
• Identify co-workers in your organization with special needs.
• Engage people with disabilities in emergency planning.
• Ask about communications difficulties, physical limitations, equipment instructions and medication procedures.
• Identify people willing to help co-workers with disabilities and be sure they are able to handle the job. This is particularly important if someone needs to be lifted or carried.
• Plan how you will alert people who cannot hear an alarm or instructions.
• Frequently review and practice what you intend to do during and after an emergency with drills and exercises.

Continuity of Operations Planning

How quickly your company can get back to business after a crisis or disaster terrorist attack or tornado, fire or flood often depends on emergency planning. Start planning now to improve the likelihood that your company will survive and recover.

Carefully assess how your company functions, both internally and externally, to determine which staff, materials, procedures and equipment are absolutely necessary to keep the business operating.

Review your business process flow chart if one exists.

Identify operations critical to survival and recovery.

Include emergency payroll, expedited financial decision-making and accounting systems to track and document costs in the event of a disaster.

Establish procedures for succession of management. Include at least one
person who is not at the company headquarters, if applicable.

Identify your suppliers, shippers, resources and other businesses you must interact with on a daily basis.

Develop professional relationships with more than one company to use in case your primary contractor cannot service your needs. A disaster that shuts down a key supplier can be devastating to your business.

Create a contact list for existing critical business contractors and others you plan to use in an emergency. Keep this list with other important documents on file, in your emergency supply kit and at an off-site location.

Plan what you will do if your building, plant or store is not accessible. This type of planning is often referred to as a continuity of operations plan, or COOP, and includes all facets of your business.

Consider if you can run the business from a different location or from your home.

Develop relationships with other companies to use their facilities in case a disaster makes your location unusable.

Plan for payroll continuity.

Decide who should participate in putting together your emergency plan.

Include co-workers from all levels in planning and as active members of the emergency management team.

Consider a broad cross-section of people from throughout your organization, but focus on those with expertise vital to daily business functions. These will likely include people with technical skills as well as managers and executives.

Define crisis management procedures and individual responsibilities in advance.

Make sure those involved know what they are supposed to do.

Train others in case you need back-up help.

Coordinate with others.

Meet with other businesses in your building or industrial complex.

Talk with first responders, emergency managers, community organizations and utility providers.

Plan with your suppliers, shippers and others you regularly do business with.

Share your plans and encourage other businesses to set in motion their own continuity planning and offer to help others.

Review your emergency plans annually. Just as your business changes over time, so do your preparedness needs. When you hire new employees or when there are changes in how your company functions, you should update your plans and inform your people.