• 26 percent have steps in place for handling suspicious mail or packages

• 26 percent conduct periodic emergency evacuation drills

• 24 percent have crisis management teams to interact with employees during emergencies

• 12 percent have procedures to follow in the event of terrorism

“Emergency preparedness plans benefit both the business and its employees,” says John Kauffman, director of Loss Control Training at The Hartford. “They help secure employees’ safety and protect the business’ assets, and they can also help a business stay in operation during an emergency or quickly recover. That often can mean the difference between staying in or going out of business.”
 

What You Can Do


Could your small business recover from rampaging wildfires, a hurricane, a terrorist attack that brought commerce to a stop? The answer is no, unless you're prepared for the emergency.

Here are some initial steps you can take to protect your business, your employees and your livelihood:

• Develop an emergency plan. Oversee it yourself or assign an employee as the coordinator.

• Back up critical electronic data every day and store copies off site.

• Keep updated lists of emergency contacts and telephone numbers, including your employees, insurance agent, customers, suppliers and distributors. Store a copy off site.

• Have on hand a first aid kit, flashlight with fresh batteries, battery-powered radio, waterproof plastic bags and covers, a tool kit and an appropriate supply of bottled water and nonperishable food.

• Establish and practice evacuation plans, including primary and secondary routes, for a fast exit. Assign specific gathering places for evacuated employees to meet.

• Develop a contingency plan for continued business operations, including routing inventories and deliveries to another facility or location.

• Have at least one land-line telephone that can operate without electricity, in addition to a cell phone.

• Install fire extinguishers and smoke detectors. Check them twice a year.

• If you have vulnerable employees (receptionists, customer relations representatives and others with front-line visibility), give them a discreet way of calling for help, such as a hidden alarm button.