Did you know that 43% of businesses that experience a disaster and have no emergency plan never reopen? Kissimmee Utility Authority reminds you to have a plan to protect your workers and work flow before disaster strikes. Here are 10 things to get you started:
- Create an evacuation plan and post it on each level of your building.
- Speak with your employees to learn who may have special needs or circumstances in the event of a hurricane. If so, make arrangements in case a storm keeps them away longer than others.
- Determine with your employees how much time they may need away from the office so they can prepare early.
- Decide ahead of time if or when your business will close early because of a storm. Communicate this to your employees so they can plan their own preparations accordingly.
- Photograph all of your office equipment and keep a current inventory of all office machines and supplies.
- Store copies of valuable paperwork, files and data in a safe location, preferably outside the risk area.
- Consider adding insurance coverage to help you recover from productivity lost as the result of a hurricane.
- Cross-train employees in case a staff member has to be out for an extended period of time due to an evacuation or storm damage.
- Think about whether you might try relocating your operation or ask employees to work from home if storm damage prevents you from returning to your normal location.
- Keep a record of companies that provide a disaster recovery services such as cleanup.