Your Business Emergency Preparedness Checklist

Emergency Preparedness Checklist

A lot of unforeseen things can happen as you operate your business. It would be prudent to be prepared for these emergencies so as not to panic when they do happen. Have a basic preparedness checklist ready and make sure these solutions are easily accessible to both you and your employees.

Here are some of the things that should be included in your preparedness checklist:

1. First-Aid Kits

First-aid kits are a must in any office, factory, or warehouse. Little medical emergencies and other minor injuries can easily be mended when a first aid kit and an automated defibrillator are readily available. Make sure to have these accessible in any physical space you own.

2. Emergency numbers

Have a list of emergency numbers and each employee’s contacts list ready in your phone book. You never know when disaster could strike. Basic numbers that should be part of this preparedness checklist are your fire station, police station, emergency room, and your city or municipality’s general emergency hotline.

Make sure to also keep emergency numbers that are specific to your business. For example, if you are involved in many delivery and logistics activities, make sure to have numbers for roadside assistance readily available to you and your drivers. Lots of unexpected things can happen on the road, and you would want to prevent further delays when accidents do occur.

3. Information Systems Protection

A business has a lot of information stored in different software and systems. You would want to keep these safe and protected from viruses, data theft, and other privacy concerns, and system crashes.

Make sure you have adequate protection in places such as antivirus software, password protection for your files, and data backups for all your most important assets.

For any important decisions that have to be made, make sure to have easily accessible legal counsel as part of your team. In case of any contract breaches and other legal issues that could ensue, it would be good to know your rights and what you can fight for as an entity.

5. Business Insurance

For any natural disasters, such as floods and fires, or other accidents and events that could damage property and other assets, or cause injury to persons, it may be good to get insurance for these things.

It is a way to be prepared for a rainy day and have your bases covered. It would also be good to consult a lawyer on what the best kind of protection would be good to choose for your specific business or industry.

These are some of the ways you can be prepared for any emergencies, should any ensue during your business operations. Have these resources readily accessible to yourself as well as your partners, employees, and everyone in your workforce, should it be applicable.

Also, orient them to not panic and conduct regular training on how to implement these protective measures in case of any unfortunate events. This is a good way to practice caution and protect yourself from further damage when emergencies do occur.