Worst-Case Scenario
How would your business take a September 11-level tragedy? Only the best preparation can ensure it rises from the rubble.
When Flight 77 slammed into the Pentagon on September 11, the 37
employees at Children's World Learning Center, the
Pentagon's day-care facility, knew exactly what to do. They
calmly led the kids out of their building, situated near the
Pentagon, to a safe location. It turns out that these day-care
employees were just following the evacuation drill they practice
once a month. Even though confusion was all around them, they
remained "pretty calm, as far as what to do," says
Shirley Allen, the day-care center's director. "It helped
a lot in a real emergency." As Allen knows, a little planning can save lives. But Gartner
Inc. estimates only 25 to 35 percent of small companies have a
disaster management plan, compared to 85 percent of large
businesses. Even worse, Gartner estimates that two out of five
companies that are hit by disaster go out of business within five
years. The following tips may save lives, as well as your
business. Get Out!
"No matter how good you are at [your] business, you can't
assume you'll deal in the best way with an unusual
situation," says Mayer Nudell, an adjunct professor of
emergency planning at Webster University's Bolling Air Force
Base campus in Washington, DC, and a security and terrorism
consultant to businesses and the government. "Think about
things ahead of time." Content Continues Below
That means developing a plan with multiple evacuation scenarios
and running monthly drills. "Confidence is the biggest
advantage," Allen says. "If we didn't have the
monthly drill, it would have been chaos." Start by assessing the risks of your workplace, listing the
potential disasters that can affect you based on your location and
the materials you deal with every day, and have an outsider take a
practical look at your plan. Your local fire department or a safety
consultant can offer advice. One important point to ponder is how you'll evacuate the
disabled. Include employees in wheelchairs or on crutches, the
deaf, the blind, older workers-even pregnant employees-in your
plans. A number of disabled employees were trapped in the World
Trade Center, and all employers must now face the challenge of
creating crisis plans that help disabled employees leave buildings,
not just enter them. "Making a plan without [the disabled
person's] input could be fatal," says Greg Fehribach, a
board member of the Easter Seals Society, which advocates for the
disabled, and an Indianapolis attorney who uses a wheelchair
himself. Easter Seals is working on a national education initiative
for evacuating the disabled and has released guidelines that can be
found at www.easter-seals.org. Have Some
Backup
Edward Moran is director of product innovation for the Technology
and Communications Group of Deloitte & Touche in New York City.
He was standing outside Deloitte's offices at 2 World Financial
Center when the second plane hit. Thanks to an evacuation plan that
designated alternate escape routes, all but one of his co-workers
got out safely. Deloitte's World Trade Center location was
destroyed, but the company has been able to switch to alternate
offices to keep the company up and running. Moran, who has created disaster recovery plans, warns that a
small company may not be so lucky, especially if all its eggs are
in one basket. "You put your company at tremendous risk when
you put all your assets in one place," he says. These assets
include files, customized computer applications, inventory and your
employees. Store backup copies of all documents at least a few
blocks away from your building, and consider telecommuting for your
employees. Some research predicts an increase in telecommuting
following the September 11 attacks, and Moran sees it as a good
option. "Maybe you want to give people the ability to work
from home to distribute your human capital," Moran says.
"Many people don't need to be in a certain place to do
what they need to do." You may derive additional benefits:
Studies show that telecommuting creates more loyalty in employees
who appreciate the flexibility. Planning
Ahead
Here are more tips to help you handle the unexpected: - Put it in writing. Add your emergency plan to your
employee handbook. The more training and communication you provide,
the more it will protect you from potential liability, says Michael
Droke, an employment attorney with Dorsey & Whitney in
Seattle.
- Create a communication plan. If disaster strikes, can
you account for every employee right away? Consider updating your
contact list to a password-protected Web site a few times a day, or
always carrying an up-to-date list that contains employee phone
numbers and e-mail addresses for both work and home as well as
pager numbers. Designate an off-site location where everyone will
meet and be accounted for.
- Improve your workplace security. Background checks,
escorts, sign-in sheets and security cameras are all good measures.
Planning not only makes perfect, but it can also save lives-and
your company in the process. Says Nudell, "By thinking about
what can go wrong, you sometimes come across ways to maximize how
things will go right."
Chris Penttila is a freelance journalist in the Chapel Hill,
North Carolina, area. Contact her at chris@sitting-duck.com or
www.sitting-duck.com. Contact Sources
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