Tips for emergency preparedness planning

With the tsunami warning issued Tuesday, ALTRES reminds local businesses that now’s a good time to prepare for natural disasters, including hurricanes and tropical storms.

“A tsunami or other natural disaster such as a hurricane can not only jeopardize the safety of employees, but also potentially close businesses for weeks, if not permanently,” the state’s largest human resources outsourcing and staffing firm reported.

“While hurricane season typically is between June and November, a hurricane or other natural disasters such as the tsunami warning issued today can occur when the conditions are right,” said John Fielding, director of risk management at ALTRES. “It may seem overwhelming at first, but it is imperative for businesses to plan ahead to minimize impacts and maintain operational continuity to ensure long-term success.”

Here are some tips:

1. Assess Your Risks and Make a Plan: Identify what risks your company would be susceptible to in the event of a hurricane and list their potential impact on operations. Are you in a flood zone? Will employees have difficulty getting to work? Will you have to temporarily relocate? Come up with a detailed plan of action to mitigate your vulnerabilities.
2. Review your insurance coverage: After completing a risk assessment, it’s a good time to review your company’s insurance coverage. Even if your policy protects you from tsunami damage, does it also account for other ensuing issues, such as fires from possible power surges or in the case of a weather event, flooding from heavy rains? Consider inquiring about business interruption insurance with your agent as well.
3. Develop a communications plan: In the chaos that often accompanies an emergency, a solid communications plan can minimize panic and the spread of misinformation. Keep employee contact information readily available as a printed list. Update the list at least twice a year. Client and vendor information should also be kept handy in case you need to inform them of any closures and/or temporary relocation of your operations.
4. Protect your employees: While you want to keep your business open for as long as possible, you also have a responsibility (according to HIOSH and OSHA regulations) to keep your employees safe. After all, they are your company’s most important asset. Employees should have enough time to safely get home and be familiar with emergency protocols. Consider holding an emergency preparedness class or at the very least distribute hurricane/natural disaster safety checklists.
5. Review personnel policies: If you do have to temporarily close, will your employees still get paid for work missed? Will they have to use vacation or sick leave to cover their absence? Go over these issues with your HR representative and be sure to take into account government regulations. In the event of a major hurricane, you may even have to consider layoffs. Cross train key employees so they can take on critical responsibilities if need be.
6. Secure your computer equipment and data: Make sure any physical data backup, such as external drives, are in an alternate location (away from your computer or even your office) and preferably in a weatherproof safe. Cloud backups are another good option, but they rely on internet connection, which could be limited following a tsunami or hurricane. Label and document your equipment so you can safely remove and then replace it with minimal downtime. Move equipment to high ground within your office to avoid flood or water issues. Install UPS backups for your equipment in addition to standard battery backups. This will help enable shutdown options or stay up and running when the power goes out and assist you in case a generator or battery module malfunctions. If you maintain onsite servers, install and maintain fire suppression systems specifically designed for your equipment. Your office may have sprinklers, but server rooms need sophisticated options like inert or synthetic gas to prevent fire but not damage your equipment.
7. Line up secondary vendors: Due to Hawaiʻi’s size and location, it’s likely that a major tsunami or hurricane will affect businesses statewide. If a core part of your operations relies on other local businesses, it’s crucial to identify secondary suppliers and vendors, preferably out of state. Secure estimates or contracts, and have details worked out now to minimize downtime and get your business back on its feet faster.

Businesses interested in learning more about disaster preparedness can download ALTRES’s Disaster Preparedness is Good Business eBook at https://www.altres.com/insights-and-resources/disaster-preparedness/.