CONTINUITY PLANNING
PROTECTING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF EVERYONE IN YOUR FACILITY IS KEY DURING AN EMERGENCY .
protection , community outreach , recovery and restoration , and , most importantly , implementation and maintenance .
It is important to specify a team to handle the various duties related to recovery and restoration . Make sure they understand their duties and the seriousness of their role and have them explicitly agree to be part of the emergency response team . Determine response strategies and make a plan for activating resources as needed .
The communication component should incorporate whom to call in the case of an emergency and who will be responsible for notifying staff and clients . It ’ s a good idea to keep a paper copy of an employee contact list in an emergency binder so that it can be accessed easily in an event such as a power outage .
Protecting the health and safety of everyone in your facility is key during an emergency . Have a plan for evacuation , a meeting place for staff to assemble and take attendance , as well as designated locations to take shelter whether within the facility or away from the facility in a public building . Make sure to include a strategy for your most valuable assets : your employees . In the event that an employee experiences a life-altering incident outside of work , such as a house fire , you should be ready to put a support system in place . As appropriate , this could include the facilitation of crisis counselling , daycare , or temporary living arrangements .
The property protection section of your plan should detail property protection systems that safeguard your assets when you cannot , such as fire protection systems , water level monitoring , automatic shutoffs , and emergency power generator systems . In this section of your plan , you will also incorporate a plan for emergency mitigation , facility shutdown , and records preservation .
How will you handle community attention that results from the incident ? The community outreach component of your plan should detail how you will interface with outside organizations for support and who will handle communications with the media .
Keep your plan current by actively exercising , maintaining , and reviewing it . Conduct drills and exercises frequently and perform an audit annually to assess its effectiveness .
A comprehensive Business Continuity Planning toolkit is available from any one of our trusted advisors . Contact your local General Insurance Services office today for any additional questions regarding the continuity planning process or assistance with its implementation . We are always happy to help . +
BY : NICOLE VAN DUYN , CLCS , BUSINESS RISK ADVISOR GENERAL INSURANCE SERVICES
Nicole Van Duyn was raised in Crown Point , IN graduating from Crown Point High School and earning a Bachelor ’ s degree from Purdue University Northwest ’ s Hospitality and Tourism Management Program . She now resides in Hobart with her husband , Adam , and their pets , Finn and Louie . Prior to joining GIS , Nicole had gained a background in hospitality , banking , as well as in the non-profit sector as a Community Development Manager . She is a member of the Hobart Chamber of Commerce , Hobart Kiwanis Club , Purdue Northwest Hospitality and Tourism Management Advisory Board , as well as President-Elect of the Merrillville Rotary Club . In her free time Nicole enjoys the beach , day trips to Michigan with her husband and volunteering .
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