Are Your Employees Prepared for an Emergency to Happen to Your Business?

10/13/2020 (Permalink)

As a business owner in West Palm Beach, having set plans in place in case of an emergency, a hurricane, and now COVID-19, is essential to keeping the doors open and continuity of business. As a business owner, you may also have the entirety of these plans memorized or in a convenient location in the case it is needed, but do all of your employees know exactly what to do in the case of an emergency? 

While you can plan for an emergency, you can never plan when the emergency will occur. This means that you may not always be available during an emergency to put your plan into action. Ensuring your employees know what to do when an emergency disaster occurs is important to keeping your doors open.

1. Establish a Chain of Command

If there is someone beside you, whom you trust or whose direct responsibility it is to take charge in your absence, make sure they are fully aware of what a plan of action looks like. Have a second employee as an option in the line of command in the case your first choice is also not available.

2. Keep Your Plan Organized & Easily Accessible

Have a list of all of your vendors, access points, important contacts like an insurance agent or emergency services, and utility shut-off locations in one document. Include pictures, contact information, and important need-to-know details. Make sure this document is neatly stored in a file or on a shared computer network for quick access.

3. Consider Alternative Ways of Sharing a Plan of Action

While having a file in office is not always ideal and a shared network is not always an option, consider using a program that all employees can access via their own computer or smart phones. SERVPRO’s Emergency Ready Plan is available via an easy to navigate mobile app, making it extremely convenient for more than one employee to access. The ERP app can hold all of the necessary information a hard copy plan would including contacts, vendors, access points, instructions, photos and more. A SERVPRO team member will always help set up your app and profile making sure all pertinent details are recorded. Once set up is complete, you are free to share the app and access with any employee you choose!

Having a thorough, well-communicated plan will get you back to business quickly and  provide a peace of mind. Many business owners may be apprehensive of taking a day off or vacation time in the case they are needed should an emergency disaster occur. With SERVPRO’s Emergency Ready Plan, not only will your employees be extremely prepared but your local vendors, including SERVPRO of West Palm Beach, will have easy to follow instructions and plan as well!