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Ensuring Business Continuity If Disaster Strikes

By BOMI Institute

Disaster recovery is often a neglected area of business planning, especially in smaller organizations. While it may not be necessary to maintain a detailed disaster recovery plan, all companies should be aware of their options during an emergency. It is crucial to know how long disaster recovery procedures will take to implement.

These steps may facilitate effective business continuity planning:

1. Consider each possible event that could adversely affect the operation and evaluate the damage it could cause.

2. Determine what actions to take, what resources will be required to protect the building and its operation from each event, and how to restore full operation.

3. Develop a written plan for dealing with each situation.

Written Plan

A formal disaster recovery plan should evaluate the impact an emergency would have on operations. What will happen if the organization is inaccessible to customers? How long will it take for service to be restored? What are the available options for immediate limited restoration?

While a disaster recovery plan is essential, equally critical is a strategy for business continuity. All plans should include emergency response directions, contingency guidelines, and even media and public relations processes.

Another aspect of disaster recovery is cost. Each organization must assess its risks, determine how much uninsured risk it is willing to carry, and then decide how much it can afford to spend. Simple planning can sometimes make the cost negligible while returning large benefits.

For instance, if a company has two locations, it might be worth considering the expense of additional telecommunications capabilities at the second office. That second office can then be used as a backup if a customer service hotline must be transferred because of a disaster at the main office. The telecommunications provider can suggest options and work with the facility manager to ensure the plan meets the organization's needs.

Inspection

Risk adjusters, fire marshals, police departments, local emergency planning officials, and vendors should all be contacted when developing any plan. The size of the property, type of tenancy, and location are going to determine what will go into a plan. Based on the results of the inspection and review, a report should be compiled. The report should then become the basis for the plan of action to correct deficiencies, eliminate weaknesses and vulnerabilities, and update life safety policies and procedures for personnel.

Finally, an annual facility evaluation should confirm whether or not the plan continues to remain effective.

Emergency Actions Plan

This plan should be developed for each facility and should provide comprehensive information on all types of emergencies.

OSHA has written an emergency action plan that is applicable for every firm with 10 or more employees. The plan must include, at a minimum, these elements:

1. The preferred means of reporting fires and other emergencies;

2. Emergency escape procedures and emergency escape-route assignments;

3. Procedures to be followed by employees who remain to perform or shut down critical plant operations after the facility has been evacuated;

4. Procedures to account for all employees after emergency evacuation has been completed;

5. Rescue and medical duties for those employees assigned to perform them; and

6. Names, job titles, or departments to be contacted for further information or explanation of duties under the plan.

Understand and Act

As the emergency response plan is developed, employees will need to be involved in its implementation. Many organizations have emergency response teams which are the first line of defense in critical situations.

Depending on the size of the facility, one or more teams may be trained in the following areas:

• Use of various types of fire extinguishers;
• First aid, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR);
• Shut down, evacuation, chemical spill control, and search and emergency rescue procedures;
• Use of self-contained breathing apparatus and AEDs; and
• Incipient and advanced-stage fire fighting.

Training is essential to ensure the effectiveness of an emergency plan. As part of the implementation, a sufficient number of people must be trained to assist in the safe and orderly evacuation of employees. Training for each type of disaster response is necessary so employees know what is required.

In addition, all employees should be trained in the following:

• Evacuation plans;
• Alarm systems;
• Reporting procedures for personnel;
• Shut down procedures; and
• Types of potential emergencies.

These training programs should be provided at least annually; nonetheless,retraining should take place if any one of the following events occur:

• New employees are hired;
• New equipment, materials, or processes are introduced;
• Procedures have been updated or revised; or
• Exercises show that employee performance during emergencies must be improved. The emergency response procedures should be written concisely and made available to all employees. A drill should be conducted at random intervals (at least annually), and management and employees should immediately evaluate their performance. When possible, drills should include groups supplying outside support services, such as local fire and police departments.

Contingency Preparations

Contingency planning is another component of a comprehensive disaster recovery plan. This process incorporates communication, life safety, protection of property, restoration of facilities and services, and protection of business integrity.

In any building emergency, the first step is to notify all occupants who may be in danger. If necessary, the second response should be a simultaneous notification to the appropriate authorities-police, fire, and medical-who are best equipped to deal with the emergency.

Next, facility professionals should communicate with those employees designated to respond to emergencies. A contact list must be available to essential personnel, so staff memebers can reach the emergency response team at any time and place.

The list should include key personnel, contractors, and suppliers. Assigned responsibilities, especially for those who have the equipment and skills to deal with the specific type of emergency, must be outlined.

Contingency planning should also deal with response to first-aid emergencies ranging from physical injury to heart failure.

The Physical Plan

After personnel are safe, protecting the facility from further damage is next on the agenda. This may involve stacking sandbags in areas subject to flooding, boarding up windows in areas subject to windstorms, using waterproof tarpaulins to protect equipment and inventory, or shutting down important equipment such as computer systems, boilers, and chillers.

While doing this, keep in mind the possibility of exposure to hazardous substances. Substances such as asbestos, lead paint, PCBs, PVC-coated cabling, and any other hazardous chemicals present a health and safety risk, as well as possible adverse environmental effects.

Federal OSHA and EPA regulations require employers to address employee exposure and contingency planning for facilities where hazardous substances may be present. In addition, state and local regulations almost always apply in urban areas.

Public Perceptions

Every building's operations manual should contain a section on how to handle the media, occupants, employees, and the general public during an emergency. As a general rule, when a crisis occurs, tell the company story quickly, openly, and honestly to allay suspicion and rumors. Make an immediate brief statement explaining that the company is aware of the situation, is investigating the details, and will share this information with the media and public as soon as the facts are known.

Once the initial storm recedes, restoration of the facility commences. Contingency plans should consider how services will be restored or at least determine they can be temporarily duplicated.

Critical parts should be kept on hand. An emergency does not allow time to locate spare parts or obtain competitive bids.

Although a plan should be comprehensive, it should be a practical reflection of the critical nature of the operations in the building.

When confronting any emergency, the facility manager must remain calm, have an emergency plan in place, and follow it accordingly. Any plan is built upon experience and testing. Learn from past mistakes and make appropriate adjustments where necessary.