Businesses Affected By a Hurricane Must Take Steps to Prevent The Worst
For businesses, responding to a disaster, such as Hurricane Katrina, can be overwhelming. After attending to personal needs-family, friends and homes-companies can begin to focus on preserving property, protecting employees and resuming business operations."When disaster strikes, there is a lot of work to be done, and many business owners may not know where to begin," said Steven D. Hernandez, senior vice president of Chubb & Son and worldwide loss control manager for Chubb Commercial Insurance. "Returning to work after a major disaster requires considerable thought. If business owners are not prepared for the potential risks, they could be creating a crisis within a crisis."
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies offers direction to businesses working to restore operations.
Waiting for clearance to access buildings and records can be frustrating. Here are some activities many businesses can do, while they wait, to expedite their companies' recovery.
- Keep informed of daily changes in conditions and immediate dangers
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides health and safety information for both the public and emergency responders.
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers a listing of resources to assist in recovery efforts.
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) serves as the lead agency for the cleanup of hazardous materials. Daily, the agency reports response activities and results of water and air testing.
- Maintain frequent communications with employees.
- Arrange for trauma management support through employee assistance programs or other counseling resources.
- Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) provides disaster relief and mental health resources.
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Verify the health, safety and security of your facility.
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Check with local code officials to identify building-code requirements for repairs, new construction or demolition.
- Prioritize order of resuming operations, and identify obstacles (e.g., utility lines, contamination, building integrity) created by the disaster.
- Verify the operational state of key suppliers and subcontractors, and develop procedures for quickly procuring critical machinery, equipment, software and materials.
When businesses are ready to return to their buildings, they must take steps to protect employees, facilities and operations.
- Conduct a thorough facility assessment.
- American Society of Safety Engineer News (ASSE) offers a business resumption safety checklist.
- CDC Cleanup Safely provides general safety measures when re-entering a facility.
- Protect facilities from intruders and malicious mischief.
- Assess exposures in the event of unintended use or occupancy of the facilities (i.e., shelter).
- NIOSH Shelter Checklist details assessment criteria should facilities be used to house employees or other individuals.
- Recover vital records.
- Advise employees of any health, safety and security concerns within the facilities.
- Provide appropriate training as many employees will be operating outside of their normal duties.
- Screen employees for risk factors such as heart conditions, asthma, compromised immune systems and allergies to mold and dust.
- Provide appropriate personal protective equipment.
- NIOSH PPE for Flood Response Workers provides guidelines and warnings to flood cleanup workers.
- CDC Hand Hygiene in Emergency Situations details proper techniques for hand hygiene.
- Assess the additional hazards presented by flood cleanup activities.
- NIOSH Hazards of Flood Cleanup details the work-related hazards involved in flood cleanup activities.
- CDC Worker Safety After a Flood highlights safety issues after a flood.
- OSHA Flood Cleanup provides information on floodwater issues and how to protect oneself.
- OSHA Cleanup Hazards details cleanup procedures after a flood.
- Review these other resources before fully restoring operations.
According to Hernandez, "These activities and online resources are not intended to be a comprehensive guide to dealing with a disaster. We offer this information to businesses affected by weather-related catastrophes to use as they deem appropriate to implement business recovery plans. By providing this information, Chubb hopes to increase awareness of the many issues that businesses face following a hurricane, flood or other weather-related catastrophe and the resources available to help mitigate losses and expedite business recovery activities."
The member insurers of the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies form a multi-billion dollar organization providing property and casualty insurance for personal and commercial customers worldwide through 8,000 independent agents and brokers. Chubb's global network includes branches and affiliates in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia and Australia.
