| Disaster wears many faces. People know the | | | | methods of keeping and storing information. |
| importance of insuring their homes, vehicles, | | | | Electronic Format: Files stored and retrieved by |
| businesses, and lives from both natural and | | | | computers. Some common formats for vital |
| man-made disaster. When tragedy strikes, the | | | | records include TIFF images, PDF/searchable PDF, |
| most important concern is obviously human | | | | databases, video files, and audio files. Electronic |
| welfare – surviving the event with minimal or | | | | files can be stored on hard drives, CD’s or |
| no permanent damage. The next concern, | | | | DVDs, flash drives, floppy discs, and tapes. This |
| however, is the kind of permanent damage that | | | | would include paper documents that are scanned |
| can feel like a life has ended: losing imperative | | | | and indexed for fast retrieval. |
| data. While facilities and equipment can be | | | | Microfiche: A flat film that contains a matrix of |
| replaced, nothing can replace damaged or | | | | micro images that can be stored in boxes, file |
| destroyed documents. Every company keeps | | | | cabinets, drawers and envelopes. |
| data that is so important; losing it would be | | | | Microfilm: A reel or roll of film that can be |
| catastrophic to the business. However, many | | | | perforated in 35mm or 16 mm format and |
| businesses have unreliable disaster plans, or none | | | | contains micro images. Microfilm is typically stored |
| at all. These companies are facing very large and | | | | in open-reel type systems or in cassettes. |
| unnecessary risks. | | | | Aperture Cards: A punched or non-punched card |
| There are hundreds of news articles featuring | | | | with a microfilm image mounted. They can be |
| businesses that have lost invaluable information to | | | | stored in boxes, file cabinets, drawers and |
| natural disaster. Consider the possible flukes that | | | | envelopes. |
| can set a building ablaze: gas leak, poor wiring, | | | | Putting it all together Knowing what could happen, |
| equipment failure, and negligence. Weather | | | | what would be destroyed, and what is most |
| concerns are relevant across the world. The | | | | important to recover, you want to decide on the |
| source of destruction depends on geographic | | | | disaster-recovery plan that is best for you. Here |
| location, but severe weather happens | | | | are a few key elements to consider when |
| everywhere. The point is that every business is | | | | choosing a method of document safekeeping: |
| vulnerable to disaster, and no business can afford | | | | Prioritize: Not every record or document is critical, |
| to lose their most valued data and documents. | | | | and the likelihood of a hurricane hitting South |
| This article will discuss the aspect of document | | | | Dakota is zero. It is ridiculous to address every |
| recovery in disaster planning. To efficiently and | | | | possible situation, so address the most |
| successfully prepare for the worst, several points | | | | catastrophic situation that is most likely to occur. |
| must be considered: | | | | Storage: Very few storage systems are 100% |
| - Nature of disaster capable of occurring | | | | disaster proof. Humidity, extreme temperatures, |
| - Type of information that would need to be | | | | fire, water, and chemicals will destroy or degrade |
| recovered | | | | paper, microfilm, microfiche, and aperture cards. |
| - Format of documentation or information | | | | Even electronic formats are susceptible to the |
| - How these factors affect the decision-making | | | | elements. Duplicates of your vital records should |
| process | | | | be stored in an off-site location. To minimize |
| What could happen? As stated earlier, the two | | | | damage at the off-site storage, consider the type |
| kinds of disaster that can ruin a business are | | | | of destruction possible. For instance, if hurricanes |
| natural and man-made. Each is a separate and real | | | | occur in your area, it may be wise to choose a |
| risks. | | | | site that would likely be out of harms way should |
| Natural disasters: The most common natural | | | | a hurricane destroy your site. |
| disasters, depending on geographic location, come | | | | Document Integrity: Time alone can compromise |
| by way of hurricanes, tornadoes, lightning, earth | | | | paper, microfilm, microfiche and aperture cards. |
| quakes, floods, volcanic eruptions, extreme cold | | | | Be prepared to replace that which degrades over |
| or heat, landslides, snow or ice storms, hail, and | | | | time. |
| fire. | | | | Access: Documents that are difficult or impossible |
| Man-made disasters: This category may include | | | | to retrieve are no more useful than destroyed |
| explosions, arson, hazardous materials, terrorism, | | | | documents. Your retrieval system must ensure |
| sabotage, theft, structural collapse, nuclear | | | | that any given document or record can be found |
| catastrophe, computer viruses, power disruption, | | | | quickly. In the case of electronic storage, images |
| and power spikes. | | | | need a logical indexing format for easy search and |
| Either form of destruction can have an enormous | | | | retrieval. |
| impact on records and files. Without backup | | | | Conversion: Microfilm, microfiche, paper, and |
| copies or alternate forms of recordkeeping, this | | | | aperture cards can all be converted to electronic |
| data may be gone forever. No matter how | | | | format with digital conversiontechnology. The |
| unlikely it is for such an event to take place, it is | | | | most common electronic formats are TIFF |
| always a possibility. | | | | (image) and PDF (including searchable PDF). While |
| What information needs to be saved? There are | | | | scanning, a document can be indexed for efficient |
| numerous categories of information that may | | | | retrieval. Indexing allows the documents to be |
| need to be recovered in the event of a disaster. | | | | searched or cross-referenced by a number of |
| Some include: | | | | fields, such as: name, SSN, model or serial |
| - Drawings | | | | number, date, etc. |
| - Specs | | | | Electronically-formatted documents are easiest to |
| - Vital HR records | | | | store and retrieve. One can rent electronic |
| - Video or audio records | | | | storage in a dozen locations around the world at a |
| - Procedures | | | | minimum cost. Retrieval is instantaneous. Electronic |
| - Financial records and information | | | | data can be automatically backed up to off-site |
| - Customer information | | | | locations daily or even hourly if needed. Cost is |
| - Quality and product tracking records | | | | typically based on the amount of memory |
| - Inventory | | | | needed, but is relatively inexpensive compared to |
| - Certificates | | | | physical storage facilities |
| - Licenses | | | | Documents may also be converted from |
| - Security information | | | | electronic format to eye-readable formats (such |
| Assess which records and data would be most | | | | as microfilm or microfiche.) From a security |
| vital to recover if all was lost forever. How would | | | | standpoint, retrieving electronic information may |
| the organization function without them? What is | | | | be impossible if power or internet access is |
| the safest way to ensure a copy is available if | | | | interrupted. For some, computer/network hacking |
| the building and equipment are destroyed? How | | | | is a greater threat to security than a physical |
| do you go about recovering this document in the | | | | break-in at a secured storage area. |
| event of a disaster? | | | | Above all, be realistic and take disaster |
| How the information is kept Businesses that most | | | | recovery-planning seriously. Choose only what is |
| urgently need disaster planning are obviously | | | | most likely to happen and thoroughly prepare for |
| those whose records are only kept on paper. | | | | it. Devise a plan that will work, not just a checklist |
| Drawings, manuals, and books are often kept in | | | | that no one can put into action. Hopefully your |
| filing cabinets, drawers, shelves, and boxes on-site. | | | | company will never suffer the kind of disaster |
| Even paper files that are kept in an off-site | | | | that can destroy a business. If the worst were to |
| storage facility are susceptible to destruction. It is | | | | happen, though, there’s no turning back. |
| wisest to keep records in more than one format. | | | | Preparing for disaster today may save your |
| Following is a brief description of non-paper | | | | business tomorrow. |