Disaster Preparedness, Response & Recovery

In a contained workplace emergency situation Life Safety is the only concern; but when it hits the fan……Property Protection becomes equally as vital. Especially after considering that an estimated 25 percent of businesses do not reopen following a major disaster! That is precisely why you need to have a plan—not a canned program, but a site-specific custom-tailored program, one that would encompass disaster preparedness, response and recovery.

Disaster Preparedness
America's businesses form the backbone of the nation's economy; small businesses alone account for more than 99% of all companies with employees, employ 50% of all private sector workers and provide nearly 45% of the nation's payroll. If businesses are READY to survive and recover, the nation and our economy are more secure. A commitment to planning today will help support employees, customers, the community, the local economy and even the country. It also protects your business investment and gives your company a better chance for survival.

Getting back to business after a disaster depends on preparedness planning done today. Small business owners invest a tremendous amount of time, money and resources to make their ventures successful, and yet, while the importance of emergency planning may seem self-evident, it may get put on the back-burner in the face of more immediate concerns. For small business owners, being prepared can mean staying in business following a disaster. An estimated 25 percent of businesses do not reopen following a major disaster, according to the Institute for Business and Home Safety.

Disaster Response
In the case of fire, an immediate evacuation to a predetermined area away from the facility may be necessary. In a hurricane, evacuation could involve the entire community and take place over a period of days. How you are prepared to respond can make the difference between life and death.

Some or all employees should be trained in First Aid, CPR, AED, Fire Extinguisher, etc. Esprcially in areas with a slow EMS response time. Train employees in evacuation, shelter and other safety procedures. Conduct sessions at least annually or when: Employees are hired, evacuation wardens, shelter managers and others with special assignments are designated, new equipment, materials or processes are introduced, procedures are updated or revised, exercises show that employee performance must be improved. Provide emergency information such as checklists and evacuation maps. Post evacuation maps in strategic locations. Consider the information needs of customers and others who visit the facility. Consider how you would access important personal information about employees (home phone, next-of-kin, medical) in an emergency. Storing information on computer disks or in sealed envelopes are two options.

Disaster Recovery
When you think Recovery, think Planning Considerations, Continuity of Management, Insurance, Employee Support, and Resuming Operations.

Legend Safety has partnered with fortune 500 member ServiceMaster to offer a preferred client relationship for disaster recovery services. ServiceMaster is offering this program at no cost to our clients! Benefits include immediate response, preset rates, communication with your insurance company prior to any occurrences, and much more. Once you sign up, the ServiceMaster franchise responsible for your business will contact you to arrange a visit. In addition, we have established a data backup program through Vangle. The service offers off- site backup for both business data and personal, home computers. The rates are very reasonable.

Business recovery and restoration, or business resumption, goes right to a facility's bottom line: keeping people employed and the business running.