| According to the National Academies of Science, | | | | businesses. With the spilled chemicals come water |
| less than four percent of U.S. hospitals are | | | | contamination, and the downed power lines put |
| prepared to handle any type of disaster scenario, | | | | people at great risk of electrocution. The raging |
| from a hurricane, to a terrorist bombing, to an | | | | fire at the neighboring manufacturing plant |
| industrial plant accident. Additionally, few | | | | releases toxic fumes into the air. Then to top it all |
| companies even run disaster planning drills on a | | | | off, it starts to rain...a lot. Now you're not only |
| regular basis. So when something happens that | | | | dealing with a chemical spill, but also fire, water |
| affects a company, such as a chemical spill, a | | | | contamination, electrocution, toxic fumes, and |
| flood, or a pandemic flu outbreak, everyone from | | | | flooding. That's why your disaster plan must |
| the employees to the local hospital staff to the | | | | address the entire disaster, not just the plant |
| community at large feels helpless and out of | | | | explosion. |
| control. That's when things get ugly. | | | | 3. Bring in outside consultants to help fine-tune the |
| In this day and age, everyone needs to realize | | | | plan. |
| that disasters are no longer mere possibilities. A | | | | Just because you have an All Hazards plan doesn't |
| disaster will happen in every community, whether | | | | mean you're ready for disaster. Now you need |
| it's another Katrina or Chernobyl. Consider this: | | | | the insight of an external organization that can |
| Recently, 1.2 million cubic feet of propane was | | | | help you see your plan and your impending |
| accidentally vented across US Hwy 1 out of the | | | | disaster in a new light. The market is full of |
| Florida Keys, causing the road to completely close. | | | | external organizations that help companies create |
| However, this is the only road leading in or out of | | | | and drill plans specific to their industry. Without this |
| the area. Local emergency services didn't know | | | | outside perspective, you could very easily be |
| how they were going to stop the leak. And the | | | | creating your plan in a vacuum, overlooking key |
| company that was at fault for the leak was | | | | elements that would save your company money, |
| relying on local services to "deal with it." Since no | | | | time, and even staff. |
| one drilled for such a disaster, no one knew how | | | | 4. Drill the plan twice per year. |
| to properly respond. Now something that could | | | | All businesses, from small family-owned firms to |
| have been a short-term emergency turned into | | | | major corporations, need to accept the fact that |
| an all-out disaster. It doesn't have to be this way. | | | | conducting disaster drills at least twice a year is a |
| Planning for Disaster | | | | normal operating expense that cannot be ignored. |
| At a national level, every single person and/or | | | | This involves setting aside a few days each year |
| family needs to have a disaster plan outlined and | | | | for your employees to run the drill, and paying |
| a disaster survival pack ready. But the burden | | | | your staff usual wages during this time. For some |
| can't be placed solely on individuals. Corporations | | | | companies, this may mean ceasing operations for |
| also need to ensure that they have a disaster | | | | the day so all employees can be involved and do |
| plan in place, and that they drill the plan regularly. | | | | their part. |
| Whether you work for a large, multi-national | | | | The drill should cover more than one type of |
| company or a small privately held firm, use the | | | | disaster scenario so you get a cascade of events. |
| following guidelines to be ready when disaster | | | | These drills must be complex and involve all |
| strikes. | | | | aspects of your plan. If your plan does not |
| 1. Create your own plan. | | | | breakdown during the drill, then you have not |
| Many companies purchased disaster plans years | | | | drilled hard enough. You need to take the plan to |
| ago, but never took the plan out of the shrink | | | | the point where you can identify every weakness. |
| wrap. They simply bought a generic disaster plan | | | | Only then will have the true picture of what your |
| in order to get an insurance discount. To date, | | | | organization can handle and how to compensate |
| they have never opened the book, read it, and let | | | | for anything lacking. If companies fail to take the |
| alone used it. If they were to actually attempt to | | | | drill to this extreme level, then we're going to see |
| use the plan, they'd quickly learn that the plan is | | | | a lot more Katrina scenarios--where demand |
| not an All Hazards plan. Rather, it's disaster | | | | exceeds resources--as our population becomes |
| specific. So if they have three types of problems | | | | larger and our world becomes more complex. |
| occurring simultaneously, they'd be flipping back | | | | 5. Get the entire community involved. |
| and forth in the book trying to figure out what to | | | | When doing the drill, you must bring in any outside |
| do. That's when they'd discover that certain | | | | community help that your plan calls for, such as |
| sections of the book contradict each other if you | | | | medical staff, fire rescue, EMS, police bomb |
| do them at the same time. | | | | squads, etc. You simply cannot run any drill in a |
| So rather than purchase a pre-written plan, create | | | | bubble with actors portraying the needed roles. |
| your own. Most industries have mandates for a | | | | Running a drill means going out into your local |
| safety officer--someone who is supposed to be | | | | area, coordinating the drill with other organizations, |
| registered and educated in industrial safety. Make | | | | and initiating action within your community. In the |
| sure you hire someone to fill this role and that this | | | | past, too many companies ran their drill in a |
| person writes a detailed hazard plan for your | | | | bubble. And after witnessing such disasters as 9 |
| company. Again, this plan should be an All Hazard | | | | 11 and Hurricane Katrina, we now know that the |
| plan that covers a series of cascading events. | | | | bubble boy mentality has to end. |
| 2. Think of the big picture scenario (what could | | | | Be Disaster Ready |
| possibly go wrong). | | | | While no one enjoys disasters, they're a fact of |
| When you create your All Hazard plan, think in | | | | modern life. If you think that you can't initiate |
| terms of everything that could possibly go wrong. | | | | such disaster planning in your community or |
| For example, let's suppose you're writing a | | | | company, think again. If average citizens start to |
| disaster plan for a chemical plant. The reality is | | | | demand disaster planning in their community, |
| that if the chemical plant blows up, whether due | | | | politicians will listen and will act. Hospitals will listen |
| to a terrorist bomb or employee error, that | | | | and will act. And companies of all sizes will listen |
| explosion is going to cause catastrophic events | | | | and will act. So yes, one person can make a |
| that will have a chain reaction. | | | | difference. And even though you can't stop a |
| The explosion not only causes chemicals to spill | | | | disaster from occurring, you can help lead the |
| into the community, but it also causes power lines | | | | way for getting the planning in place that makes |
| to fall to the ground and raging fires in nearby | | | | the disaster less disastrous for all. |