Preparing Your Pickens County Business for an Emergency

10/17/2018 (Permalink)

Preparing Your Pickens County Business for an Emergency 

It is important for businesses to plan and prepare for a disaster. A large-scale disaster has the potential to disrupt normal business operations and affect employees. It is important for any business to plan ahead in case of a disaster. Below are a few tips you can implement in your business preparedness plan. 

• Include emergency preparedness plans in your business's newsletter, emails, or other communication tools. 
• A telephone calling tree or a voice recording can be used to communicate with employees during a disaster. 
• Set up an out of town number where employees can leave an "I'm okay" message during a disaster. 
• You should talk to your employees with disabilities or functional needs about what their needs may be during a disaster. 
• Plan for payroll to continue.  
• Review and practice what you and your employees intend to do during and after an emergency. 
• Establish facility shut down procedures. 
• Establish warning and evacuation procedures. 
• Make plans for assisting employees who may need transportation. 
• Purchase a NOAA Weather Radio with a warning alarm tone and back up battery. 
• Survey your facility and the outside equipment and make plans to protect them. 
• Make plans to protect your windows. Permanent storm shutters offer the best protection. Covering windows with plywood is a great second option. 
• Check if your phone system will work without electricity. If not, set up one phone line that can operate without electricity. 
• Establish an alternate operating location and back up suppliers. 
• Prepare to move records, computers, and other items within your facility or to an alternate location. 
• Consider how to recover any digital data if there is a significant power outage or the servers or computers are damaged. Keep tax, payroll records, inventory records, and essential information at an alternate site. 
• Maintain three to five days of inventory. If a disaster occurs, the loss isn't as great. 

Emergency Planning for Business and Industry