As we head into this year’s hurricane season, you are probably concerned about your family, employees and business. While we all learned to be prepared from previous storms, and saw the devastating impact many have had on the Gulf Coast over the years, we want to provide you with information to help you prepare your business for the worst and to facilitate recovery from the possible impact of a storm. As hurricane season has begun, taking action today is most important.
All business owners and managers should develop a basic understanding of hurricane preparedness. You are responsible for planning to protect facilities and employees. Below, are some suggested pre-hurricane season planning activities.
1. Determine which members of your staff will need to carry out hurricane preparations and who you can reasonably expect to be available. Some employees may need to assist their own families or relatives in evacuating from threatened areas. You will probably need all of your building maintenance staff to prepare your facility for a hurricane. Regularly update your list of employee phone numbers and insure each department head has a copy.
2. Develop a simple written plan which incorporates a set of Hurricane Task Assignments for your staff. Get input regarding the tasks to be accomplished from all of the various work centers at your facility.
a. Outline the specific tasks that must be performed to protect your facility during a hurricane watch and a hurricane warning, how they will be accomplished, and who will perform them.
b. It is probably desirable to develop teams for many tasks – a team to board up, a team to secure exterior equipment, and so forth. Staff members who will be performing unfamiliar tasks may need some instruction in these tasks and the use of any equipment that may be required to accomplish those tasks.
3. Outline your hurricane response plan and task assignments at a training session. Training to familiarize the staff should be conducted at the beginning of every hurricane season – and during the season if there is high staff turnover. Update team assignments on a regular basis.
4. Right now is the best time to review your property and business disruption insurance with your agent. Having a clear expectation of your coverage will allow you to make informed decisions regarding equipment replacement.
5. Develop a clear Hurricane Watch/Warning Countdown. If you establish a clear timeline for office closure, you’ll minimize employee anxiety and disruption before the storm.
6. Ensure that you have a copy of your computer system’s backup offsite, whether it’s via tape rotation, offsite hard drives or Internet-based system. Should you have a catastrophic failure of your building, having a set of your valuable data offsite is essential.
7. Discuss computer network and phone system replacement timelines with your IT department or outside provider. Knowing how to quickly replace any damaged systems can be the difference in a quick or protracted recovery. Remember that supply chain and transportation disruptions may occur, hampering your recovery efforts.
As a former Boy Scout, the best advice I can give is: be prepared. Many businesses have no plans, which can result in significant employee anxiety before the storm and chaos in recovering from the storm. Create a written plan and form a hurricane prep team. It is essential to communicate that plan to the entire workforce. Data and equipment should be protected year round, find out more on the best technology for protection by contacting Vertical IT Solutions 813-259-1300 or visit our website at verticalit.com register for one of our educational sessions to get ready and stay prepared!
