Creating An Emergency-Ready Plan For Your Business

5/12/2021 (Permalink)

The structures and equipment of your business can be negatively affected by an emergency and these are most often completely unexpected. Staff can be injured or find themselves in dangerous situations so you will want to be able to prevent this kind of situation whenever possible. You should have an emergency preparedness plan in place, and if you do it needs to be kept up-to-date. If you do not have such a plan in place, now is the perfect time to create an emergency-ready plan for your business.

You want to be prepared for any emergency event, such as: 

• Pandemic
• Fire/Wildfire
• Earthquake
• Hurricane
• Tornado
• Flood
• Hazardous material spill
• Blizzard

PROACTIVE MAINTENANCE

Establish a regular maintenance plan to ensure that all areas around your buildings are kept free from flammable materials and that landscaping is trimmed well on a regular basis to prevent fires from spreading if they occur; this is a vital first step to any emergency ready plan. Doors or windows need to be properly sealed, parking and entrance/exit areas should always be clear and safe, and the roofing of your structures should be kept in good repair, as a start. 

EVACUATION INFORMATION

State law requires that you post an evacuation plan in a visible place for your staff and customers, and this needs to be current at all times. Make sure that your employees know where it can be found and that it is clear to them, and practice evacuation procedures so that they can be followed easily should the worst happen. 

CURRENT CONTACT INFORMATION

Update your phone and email contact information regularly so that all employees can be effectively alerted to important information whether they are at work or at home, should an emergency occur. Contacts for utilities, fire departments, law enforcement, and other government agencies should be listed in a specific location and each employee should have easy access to this information at all times. 

RESOURCES

There are some great resources available for you to use when you are creating your emergency ready plan, and some examples are:

• OSHA: How to Plan for Workplace Emergencies and Evacuations
• Ready.gov
• CDC Emergency Response Resources

Our team here at SERVPRO of South and Northwest Grand Rapids is ready to help when your home or business is affected by water damage, fire damage, mold infestations, biological contamination, vandalism, and more. Our professional damage restoration company is an important resource during tough times; we are able to complete all necessary repairs in a timely and efficient manner to keep you, your workforce, or your loved ones out of harm’s way. Ask us how we can get your home or business Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned! This franchise is independently owned and operated.