Emergency Preparedness – Don’t Wait Until It Is Too Late
With reminders such as the recent 7th anniversary of the tragedy that was “911”;
destructive hurricanes including Katrina and Ike; damaging floods in Iowa; and other
disasters that have affected SMACNA members; all companies should think very hard
about plans to prepare for and react to disasters that could have devastating affects on
business operations.
A business continuity plan, like insurance, is something that every company needs but
hopes to never use. Whether your potential disaster is a flood, hurricane, tornado,
earthquake, fire, or high winds, emergency planning before the event and business
continuity plans for after the fact are something every business should have in place. The
actual plans don’t need to be full binders of paperwork because even a simple checklist or
two, prepared and implemented by owners and upper management, can be a big help in a
crisis. Making it part of your company safety and health program is a great combination.
The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) has several websites
dedicated to emergency planning including resources dedicated to small businesses. The
FEMA website is www.fema.gov. In addition, SMACNA will be producing related
products in the coming months such as revising an existing manual on Crisis
Management. For information on emergency preparedness, contact SMACNA’s safety
department at 703-995-4027 or mmccullion@smacna.org.