A natural disaster is one of the worst crises any company can face, especially when one prompts a prolonged office closure. The recent weeks-long flooding across Canada is a dramatic example of just such a disaster. When natural disasters strike, they can affect every facet of people’s lives, including their work. For many, getting back to work as soon as possible is essential to their personal recovery; your employees need to know when it’s safe to go to work, and need to trust their employers are managing the situation. In the face of a natural disaster, what will your organization do? Do you have a plan for the first minutes? What about the first hours? What happens if the disaster lasts for days, or your workplace is seriously affected?
Any natural disaster will present unexpected challenges, but having a comprehensive emergency preparedness plan can help you manage the predictable details. Although specific aspects of an emergency situation will change, the basic shape of your response likely will not. The key, therefore, is adaptability: your plan needs to be flexible to accommodate a range of scenarios, and not so rigid that you feel trapped or helpless when things go off-script. Having a comprehensive and flexible plan can improve employee awareness and response, and reduce the likelihood your business suffers damage that it cannot recover from.
Emergency preparedness is crucial for every organization. No matter how safe and secure a workplace is, some danger will always exist. Natural disasters have tremendous power, but you can make yourself ready to respond. Be adaptable and strategic: you might not know the kind of emergency you’ll face beforehand, but a thorough and clear plan can provide you with the tools to protect your business. Does your organization have an emergency preparedness plan in place? Download our FREE guide to get started.
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