September is National Preparedness Month, an annual initiative headed up by ready.gov and FEMA. The national event is an opportunity for individuals and businesses to evaluate how prepared they are for unexpected disaster situations — and to take steps to remain on safer ground. Conveniently enough, National Preparedness Month falls at the height of hurricane season. At BCH, our risk management experts believe a little preparedness now can make a big difference down the line. (And that doesn’t just apply to natural disaster scenarios.) We’ve pulled together a few bits of advice to help you make the most of National Preparedness Month.
Give Your Company’s Disaster Plan the Once-Over
Panic sets in when disaster strikes. Having a plan in place — especially one your team understands well — is the best way to keep things running as smoothly as possible. Ask your leadership/safety team to evaluate your company’s written emergency procedures and make any necessary changes. (Don’t have official procedures in place? Create them.) Then, pull the entire team together for a toolbox talk of sorts, where you can cover everything from where your fire extinguishers are located, to how to handle evacuation orders and what is expected of employees if your office is temporarily closed. Our Employee Emergency Preparedness Survey can help ensure your team members know how to handle a range of emergency situations — and can help improve your training efforts, as well.
Encourage Team Members to Evaluate Their Situation at Home
Your team’s safety and security are of utmost importance, and not just when they’re on the job. Remind them to take steps to prepare their homes and families against losses due to hurricanes and the like. Do they have proper food and supplies at the ready, just in case? Do they have a plan for where they’ll go if adverse weather makes their current standings unsafe? Do they know how they’ll communicate with loved ones and team leadership amid the event? Our Home Emergency Kit Overview offers advice to get them started. Download your copy and share it with the team.
Consider Other Important Aspects of the Business
While you’ve got preparedness on the mind, consider other ways you might poise your company for success. Are there needed repairs and housekeeping tasks your team keeps meaning to get to — but hasn’t? Delegate some tasks and get the ball rolling. Has it been a while since you’ve evaluated your insurance policy? Sit down with an expert to make sure you’ve got the right coverage. Tackling necessary tasks such as these a little at a time can help keep all aspects of your business running more safely and smoothly — and can eliminate stress and surprise costs, as well.
Have questions about where your company stands in terms of risk management? Not sure your business insurance situation is quite what it should be? Looking for additional ways to keep your company protected? Contact BCH! Our team is always happy to help.