Wenger - Emergency Planning

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Emergency Planning For Businesses

Why bother? Disasters don't happen here. Even if you think you are not in a disaster-prone area, something like a chemical tanker truck overturning can prevent you and your employees from getting to your facility. Even if a flood doesn't put your business under water, customers and supplies may not be able to get to you. Power outages, brown-outs or surges can affect your daily business operations. Many disasters, like wind storms, tornadoes and earthquakes, can strike quickly and with little or no warning.

What can I do?

Find out which natural and technological hazards can happen in your area. Get information about how to prepare your employees and clients to respond to possible hazards and provide help. Disaster safety information and CPR/first aid training are available from your local Red Cross chapter. Network with others who have or need to develop risk or contingency management plans. Attend seminars and get information from local risk management associations or chapters.

Disaster Recovery Begins Before a Disaster

No business should risk operating without a disaster plan. As reported by the SBA in 2006, up to 25 percent of small businesses do not reopen after a major disaster like a flood, tornado or earthquake. These shuttered businesses were unprepared for a disaster; they had no plan or backup systems.

When you start to develop your disaster plan, consider three subjects: human resources, physical resources and business continuity. Think about how a disaster could affect your employees, customers and workplace. Think about how you could continue doing business if the area around your facility is closed or streets are impassable. Think about what you would need to serve your customers even if your facility is closed.

Building Your Plan

Here are some suggestions your may want to consider:

Keep phone lists of your key employees and customers with you, and provide copies to key staff members.
If you have a voice mail system at your office, designate one remote number on which you can record messages for employees. Provide the number to all employees.
Arrange for programmable call forwarding for your main business line(s). Then, if you can't get to the office, you can call in and reprogram the phones to ring elsewhere.
If you may not be able to get to your office quickly after an emergency, leave keys and alarm code(s) with a trusted employee or friend who is closer.
Install emergency lights that turn on when the power goes out. They are inexpensive and widely available at building supply retailers.
Back up computer data frequently throughout the business day. Keep a backup tape off site.
Use UL-listed surge protectors and battery backup systems. They will add protection for sensitive equipment and help prevent a computer crash if the power goes out.
Purchase a NOAA Weather Radio with a tone alert feature. Keep it on and when the signal sounds, listen for information about severe weather and protective actions to take.
Stock a minimum supply of the goods, materials and equipment you would need for business continuity.
Consult with your insurance agent about precautions to take for disasters that may directly impact your business. Remember, most policies do not cover earthquake and flood damage. Protect valuable property and equipment with special riders. Discuss business continuity insurance with your agent.
Keep emergency supplies handy, including:
- Flashlights with extra batteries
- First aid kit
- Tools
- Food and water for employees and customers to use during a period of unexpected confinement at your business, such as if a tanker truck over-turned nearby and authorities told everyone in the area to stay put for an extended period.

Reduce Potential Damage

Prevent or reduce disaster damage in your facility by taking precautions, such as:

Bolting tall bookcases or display cases to wall studs
Protecting breakable objects by securing them to a stand or shelf using hook-and- loop fasteners
Moving to lower shelves large objects that could fall and break or injure someone
Installing latches to keep drawers and cabinets from flying open and dumping their contents
Using closed screw eyes and wire to securely attach framed pictures and mirrors to walls
Using plumber's tape or strap iron to wrap around a hot water heater to secure it to wall studs

You should also consider having a professional install:

Flexible connectors to appliances and equipment fueled by natural gas
Shutters that you can close to protect windows from damage caused by debris blown by a hurricane, tornado or severe storm
Automatic fire sprinklers.

Protect Your Employees, Customers & Business

Designate one employee from each work shift to be the safety coordinator. This person will make all decisions relating to employee and customer safety and to the safety of the business itself. Safety coordinators should know how to contact the owner or operator at all times. Everyone in your facility should know how to prepare for a disaster and what to do if a disaster occurs. Contact your local Red Cross chapter for specific information about how to stay safe in a tornado, earthquake, fire, flood, hurricane or other hazard.

Basic Disaster Supplies

There are six basics you should stock in your home or at work:

Keep the items that you would most likely need during an evacuation in an easy-to-carry container. Possible containers include a large, covered trash container; a camping backpack; or a duffle bag.

Personal Workplace Disaster Supplies Kit

For the workplace, where you might be confined for several hours, or perhaps overnight, the following supplies are recommended:

Flashlight with extra batteries - Use the flashlight to find your way if the power is out. Do not use candles or any other open flame for emergency lighting.
Battery-powered radio - News about the emergency may change rapidly as events unfold. You also will be concerned about family and friends in the area. Radio reports will give information about the areas most affected.
Food - Enough non-perishable food to sustain you for at least one day (three meals), is suggested. Select foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking, and little or no water. The following items are suggested: ready-to-eat canned meals, meats, fruits, and vegetables; canned juices; and high-energy foods (granola bars, energy bars, etc.).
Water - Keep at least one gallon of water available, or more if you are on medications that require water or that increase thirst. Store water in plastic containers such as soft drink bottles. Avoid using containers that will decompose or break, such as milk cartons or glass bottles.
Medications - Include usual non-prescription medications that you take, including pain relievers, stomach remedies, etc.
If you use prescription medications, keep at least three-day’s supply of these medications at your workplace. Consult with your physician or pharmacist how these medications should be stored, and your employer about storage concerns.
First Aid Supplies - If your employer does not provide first aid supplies, have the following essentials:
- (20) adhesive bandages, various sizes.
- (1) 5” x 9” sterile dressing
- (1) conforming roller gauze bandage
- (2) triangular bandages
- (2) 3 x 3 sterile gauze pads
- (2) 4 x 4 sterile gauze pads
- (1) roll 3” cohesive bandage
- (2) germicidal hand wipes or waterless alcohol-based hand sanitizer
- (6) antiseptic wipes
- (2) pair large medical grade non-latex gloves
- Adhesive tape, 2” width
- Anti-bacterial ointment
- Cold pack
- Scissors (small, personal)
- Tweezers
- CPR breathing barrier, such as a face shield
Tools and Supplies:
- Emergency “space” blanket (mylar)
- Paper plates and cups, plastic utensils
- Non-electric can opener
- Personal hygiene items, including a toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, brush, soap, contact lens supplies, and feminine supplies
- Plastic garbage bags, ties (for personal sanitation uses)
- Include at least one complete change of clothing and footwear, including a long sleeved shirt and long pants, as well as closed-toed shoes or boots
- If you wear glasses, keep an extra pair with your workplace disaster supplies
General Information
- Your kit should be adjusted based on your own personal needs.
- Do not include candles, weapons, toxic chemicals, or controlled drugs unless prescribed by a physician.

Shelter-in-Place at Work

What Shelter-in-Place Means

One of the instructions you may be given in an emergency where hazardous materials may have been released into the atmosphere is to shelter-in-place. This is a precaution aimed to keep you safe while remaining indoors. (This is not the same thing as going to a shelter in case of a storm.) Shelter-in-place means selecting a small, interior room, with no or few windows, and taking refuge there. It does not mean sealing off your entire home or office building. If you are told to shelter-in-place, follow the instructions provided in this Fact Sheet.

Why You Might Need to Shelter-in-Place

Chemical, biological, or radiological contaminants may be released accidentally or intentionally into the environment. Should this occur, information will be provided by local authorities on television and radio stations on how to protect you and your family. Because information will most likely be provided on television and radio, it is important to keep a TV or radio on, even during the workday. The important thing is for you to follow instructions of local authorities and know what to do if they advise you to shelter-in-place.

Shelter-in-Place Process

Close the business.
If there are customers, clients, or visitors in the building, provide for their safety by asking them to stay – not leave. When authorities provide directions to shelter-in-place, they want everyone to take those steps now, where they are, and not drive or walk outdoors.
Unless there is an imminent threat, ask employees, customers, clients, and visitors to call their emergency contact to let them know where they are and that they are safe.
Turn on call-forwarding or alternative telephone answering systems or services. If the business has voice mail or an automated attendant, change the recording to indicate that the business is closed, and that staff and visitors are remaining in the building until authorities advise it is safe to leave.
Close and lock all windows, exterior doors, and any other openings to the outside.
If you are told there is danger of explosion, close the window shades, blinds, or curtains.
Have employees familiar with your building’s mechanical systems turn off all fans, heating and air conditioning systems. Some systems automatically provide for exchange of inside air with outside air – these systems, in particular, need to be turned off, sealed, or disabled.
Gather essential disaster supplies, such as nonperishable food, bottled water, battery-powered radios, first aid supplies, flashlights, batteries, duct tape, plastic sheeting, and plastic garbage bags.
Select interior room(s) above the ground floor, with the fewest windows or vents. The room(s) should have adequate space for everyone to be able to sit in. Avoid overcrowding by selecting several rooms if necessary. Large storage closets, utility rooms, pantries, copy and conference rooms without exterior windows will work well. Avoid selecting a room with mechanical equipment like ventilation blowers or pipes, because this equipment may not be able to be sealed from the outdoors.
It is ideal to have a hard-wired telephone in the room(s) you select. Call emergency contacts and have the phone available if you need to report a life-threatening condition. Cellular telephone equipment may be overwhelmed or damaged during an emergency.
Use duct tape and plastic sheeting (heavier than food wrap) to seal all cracks around the door(s) and any vents into the room.
Bring everyone into the room(s). Shut and lock the door(s).
Write down the names of everyone in the room, and call your business’ designated emergency contact to report who is in the room with you, and their affiliation with your business (employee, visitor, client, customer).
Keep listening to the radio or television until you are told all is safe or you are told to evacuate. Local officials may call for evacuation in specific areas at greatest risk in your community.

Emergency Management Guide

Section 1 - 4 Steps in the Planning Process

Section 2 - Emergency Management Considerations

Section 3 - Hazard-Specific Information

Section 4 - Information Sources

Protect Your Business From Disasters

If you aren’t sure whether your business is at risk from disasters caused by natural hazards, check with your local building official, city engineer, or planning and zoning administrator. They can tell you whether you are in an area where hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, wildfires, or tornadoes are likely to occur. Also, they usually can tell you how to protect yourself, your house, business and property from the different hazards.

Protect Your Business from All Natural Hazards