This year
marks the nation’s ninth annual National Preparedness Month, in honor of
September 11th. Events can be found around the country to educate the
public on various events such as natural disasters, mass casualties, biological
and chemical threats, radiation emergencies, and terrorist attacks. It is sponsored
by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the US Department of Homeland
Security. To find an event near your organization, visit: http://community.fema.gov/connect.ti/readynpm/view?objectId=191603&exp=e1
Disaster
preparedness and management takes on a much more complex tone from an HR perspective
than that of the everyday person. Human Resources, concurrently with Safety
professionals, are typically considered the gatekeepers of these plans, and
need to be proactively thinking about all of the “what-ifs” and possible
scenarios that could affect your workforce. Because there are a million and one
contingencies that are possible, start with analyzing your business, your
workforce, and your environment. ‘Disaster and Operations Continuity Planning’
needs to include the two important steps at the outset: consider the entirety
of hazards that may occur, and then assess the probabilities of any such
disaster occurring and begin planning for those with the highest degree or
probability. The focus must also be sufficiently broad to include planned
disasters (terrorism, epidemics) and unplanned disasters (flood, hurricane,
earthquake, etc). Thus, disaster planning for continuity of operations must be aware
of the types of hazards presented while devoting its attention to those with
the highest probability of occurrence. Once this analysis has been completed,
the organization should direct its attention to disasters in the context of the
work sites being operational, versus work sites being closed, and develop its
plans considering both possibilities.1 You will also need to think
about how your employees are effected by the disaster external to your business
operations – if their family, home, transportation, etc. was impacted
negatively, what is your company’s course of action, and can this be done on a
large scale (should several employees be impacted similarly).
According to
the NFPA1600’s New National Standard, an employer’s disaster preparedness plan
should include the following:
- Evacuation procedures should be published to every
employee and evacuation drills (as well as fire drills) should be
routinely conducted.
- Maintain accurate emergency contact information to reach
employees and next of kin.
- Establish and publicize mechanisms (e.g., web site,
telephone chain, recorded announcement) through which the employer may
apprise its employees of any pertinent developments.
- Reassess the means and manner in which critical
information is stored, both physically and electronically to prevent
irreparable physical damage from crippling the company’s operations.
- Review existing property, casualty, business
interruption, life and other insurance policies, and modify such coverage
where necessary or prudent.
As always,
legal review of the plan is advised, as well as periodic updates as your
business grows and changes so that the plan remains relevant to your workforce.
After development of the plan, training and communication of the procedures are
crucial to execution.
As you go
through the plan, make sure to take note of things like continuing compensation
and benefits plans during a disaster, other benefits such as leaves of absence,
technology issues, labor relations/union issues (should they apply),
alternative work arrangements and schedules, safety evacuations and transportation
issues, workplace violence and security, and communication to employees during
a disaster.2
Until next
time, be Inspirational!
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