If you own a business, you know the importance of preparedness. You prepare for client meetings, taxes, presentations and so on. One of the hardest things to prepare for, however, is a disaster. It is easy to put disaster preparedness at the back of your mind, especially if a disaster is not happening presently. According to a survey the Red Cross conducted in 2009, 89 percent of those surveyed felt it is necessary to be prepared for a disaster, but only 12 percent had an emergency disaster plan in place. Just as your prepare a budget and ways to save money, preparing for a disaster can save your business thousands of dollars and assist with business continuity.
The Ready Rating™ Program from the American Red Cross is a free, online program that can help you prepare for different disasters scenarios that can affect your business, from floods to fires to illnesses. When you sign up for the program, you learn about how prepared your business truly is to handle any emergency. After completing the readiness survey, you receive feedback regarding how to improve your business disaster planning efforts. Even if you have created a business disaster plan, you can still benefit from the Rating Ready™ Program because you may learn of ways to better prepare your employees or learn about consideration you did not think about when you made your plan.
Tornadoes and storms continued to pummel the South over the weekend, wreaking havoc in 25 North Carolina counties. South Carolina, Virginia and Maryland also issued scattered tornado reports. The North Carolina twisters claimed the lives of 21 people and seriously injured 130 throughout the state, and President Obama has already pledged his support to Governor Beverly Perdue.
The Hardest Hit
Most of the injuries and fatalities occurred to those who were in mobile homes. Shaw University’s campus in Raleigh, NC experienced so much damage that it has cancelled what is left of its spring semester. Governor Perdue reported in an interview that thousands of acres of agricultural land were also destroyed by the tornadoes.
Advanced Planning Pays
A major franchised home improvement store in North Carolina experienced the fruits of its employeeemergency disaster training during the turbulent weekend. Part of the company’s employee training includes directions about what to do in the event of a disaster, such as a tornado. As soon as employees recognized the signs of a tornado, they ordered the customers to go to the back of the store. An MSNBC report states that the employees had 1.5 to 2 minutes to react to the situation and get everyone to the safest area of the store, the back. Despite one customer’s protest, employees were able to get everyone in the building to safety just before a tornado ripped the front of store to shreds of twisted metal and broken glass.
Every company should create a business emergency disaster plan and incorporate it into ongoing employee training. The benefits of taking the time to do so are multi-fold, as employees will know how to act quickly, reach safety and help save the lives of others. A business disaster plan should also include steps to recover after an incident to help ensure speedy business continuity.
Any business can suffer the consequences of water damage. The Glendale News-Press reports that the Burbank Police and Fire headquarters suffered water damage after a construction contractor did not take “proper precautions” to ensure water would not damage the floor or interior of the jail.
The building’s concrete floor absorbed the flooded water, which caused the paint to bubble and create uneven patches. Moreover, the faulty construction job caused rain to enter the jail’s walls, which left evidence of the water damage and residue. If left untreated, the water damage could cause harmful mold growth and compromise the structural integrity of the building. The Burbank Police Department states that the water damage remediation will take a minimum of six months, as the entire jail floor needs replacing along with the other areas affected.
During the flood restoration process, which is set to begin on April 11, all individuals arrested by Burbank police will have to be booked and housed at the Glendale jail. The Glendale News-Press states that this is the second time the Burbank facility has suffered water damage in the past decade. This latest incident at the Burbank jail is affecting business continuity, as the city will need to hire off-duty officers to help with inmate transportation needs.
Fortunately, for the Burbank police department, they have some time to hammer-out the details of their business continuity and flood restoration plan, and have assistance from the city of Glendale. Your business, however, may not be so lucky. Flooding in businesses often happens unexpectedly and quickly, and a business disaster plan can help ensure business continuity.
It is easy for a home or business owner to look for the cheapest insurance premium, sign on the dotted line and pay the minimum amount due. However, many do not realize is that they may not have sufficient coverage until they need to file a claim. Understanding the details regarding a commercial insurance policy can help ensure business continuity and get life back to normal faster.
Tips for Making Sure You Have Enough Coverage:
Find an insurance agent or broker authorized to advise you on insuring your home or business properly. Agents typically represent one insurance company, while brokers represent several. Make sure the individual has a license to sell the line of insurance you are looking for and has experience in the insurance field.
Tell your agent specifically that you want your home or business properly insured with full replacement coverage. Full replacement coverage will cover the cost of the home or the building in which the business is located, plus the contents inside.
Know the limits of a replacement insurance policy. Many policies offer extended replacement policies that have a cap on the amount an insured is paid to replace a home or building, plus an additional amount of up to 25 percent of the policy limit if the original limits do not cover the contents damaged.
Know what the policy does not cover. Often, home and business owners must separately purchase flood insurance, which covers damage caused by water. What some policyholders do not understand is that a regular insurance policy for a home or building may not cover damage as a result of a problem within the building, such as a burst pipe. It is a good idea to review with an agent the losses an insurance policy does not cover.
Review your insurance policy annually. Meeting with an insurance agent on an annual basis can help prevent a policyholder from not having enough insurance. Things to tell an agent about include additions to a home or business, expensive items located in the building, changes to the layout of the building, the installation of a pool and so on.
While it is the responsibility of an insurance agent to make sure a client has sufficient coverage, it is up to a home or business owner to make sure they have the coverage they want. Knowledge about a policy and good communication with an insurance agent can prevent an individual from being underinsured.
A disaster no business owner wants to face: an explosion in the building, being critically injured and two trapped employees. This event happened today at a furniture store in Wayne, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. As of 2 p.m. (PST), two trapped employees were still missing. Rescuers are fearful of secondary explosions and the presence of flammable materials.
The blast happened around 9 a.m. local time; residents as far as a mile away felt the blast. Consequently, police evacuated area residents from their homes and businesses. Experts believe the explosion was caused by a natural gas leak because a furniture store employee called the gas company to report a gas leak in the building. The explosion happened as a store employee attempted to seal the leak.
What to Do When You if You Suspect a Gas Leak
When you detect the smell of natural gas in your home or place of work, immediately:
Ventilate the building by opening doors and windows.
Do not turn on or use any electrical devices, or light a match, while inside the affected building.
Evacuate everyone inside the building to a location outside that is a safe distance away.
Turn off the gas valve, which you can find by the gas meter on the gas inlet pipe. Use an adjustable wrench to turn the valve so the oblong stem is at a 90-degree angle to the inlet pipe.
Call the gas company from a nearby location or with a cell phone (once you are outside the building). If you do not know the number for the gas company, call 9-1-1.
Creating a Disaster Plan
No business owner wants to imagine his building exploding, but it is a necessary task if the use of natural gas is employed. All business owners should create a disaster emergency plan that includes planning to keep a wrench by the gas valve permanently, to never leave flammable or combustible materials inside the building and to create a business continuity plan. A business continuity plan outlines how operations will continue after a disaster. For example, it will list remote locations from which to work, a plan to restore damaged documents found in the aftermath and the contact information of those who can help with this process.
If you own a business, you know the importance of preparedness. You prepare for client meetings, taxes, presentations and so on. One of the hardest things to prepare for, however, is a disaster. It is easy to put disaster preparedness at the back of your mind, especially if a disaster is not happening presently. According to a survey the Red Cross conducted in 2009, 89 percent of those surveyed felt it is necessary to be prepared for a disaster, but only 12 percent had an emergency disaster plan in place. Just as your prepare a budget and ways to save money, preparing for a disaster can save your business thousands of dollars and assist with business continuity.
