Organisations Learn to Rise from the Ashes
The Home Office/Association of Chief Police Officers Argus event is one of many taking place in every major town throughout the UK over the next two years.
At the Bedford seminar local businesses were asked: How would your business cope in disastrous circumstances?
An officer from the National Counter Terrorism Security Office and representatives from Bedford Police, Fire and Ambulances shared useful information and advice highlighting the importance of Business Continuity Management.
In the event of an 'explosion' the emergency services first send a limited team to assess the situation determining if the cause is accidental and the likelihood of other explosions. The 999 services will be situated at a safe distance form the blast and will await a signal from the initial team to move in following clearance that the area is safe.
It is in these early moments that businesses can take the most action to save lives and assets. Rushing to evacuate is not always the best solution if your premises is not directly affected by the explosion. If the event is a terrorist attack there is the possibility of further explosions. Ensure your staff are clam, in a safe place i.e. away from windows and put your Incident management plan into action.
It is vital to stay calm and assess the situation prior to making any sudden decisions which could negatively affect your organisation.
As part of a well organised chain, 'Boots' has procedures in place for such emergencies including a 'grab bag' of essentials needed to help in the vital minutes after a disaster.
Boots Health and Safety manager attended the seminar:
'This has certainly focused my mind on the issue and made me think about the bigger picture. People would certainly be looking to Boots for first aid materials and we would have to think about how we prioritised those demands'.
Looking at the bigger picture enables organisations to recognise their position within a community, for example a hotel could be used as a safe house providing shelter and a route to a landline or communication.
Considering a 'business buddy' is ideal, for example if an organisation cannot fulfil their daily requirements of providing products or services due to an incident i.e. a flood, they can contact their 'business buddy'- a similar store/organisation based in another area to supply those goods or services on their behalf.
The social and economic impact of a major incident - be it terrorism or a natural disaster as we have seen in the UK over recent months - cannot be under valued. A new British Standard was issued by the Government in November last year: BS5299 which accredits companies with Business Continuity Planning.
There are a number of key aspects to consider when designing your Business Continuity Plan:
- In the immediate aftermath of an incident consider your organisations security and valuables on the premises - looting and losses are inevitable hence your plan needs to consider protecting these assets.
- Lack of access or damage to premises may prevent your organisation form working, where would you go and how can you function without the information held in your premises?
- How would your organisation continue to function with a lack of key staff members due to sickness, stress or injury?
In the aftermath of the 7/7 London bombings footfall in some areas of London dropped by 78%
For further information regarding your Business Continuity Management click here
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