Disaster Planning and Recovery

Although this might not be considered an operations responsibility, it still needs to be discussed.  Disaster planning and recovery needs to be fully investigated on just how the company would react to disasters such as hurricanes, fires, major power outages, and even terrorism.  Disaster planning and recovery should not only be planned for emergencies that would require evacuation or first aid, but also for recovering important company information.  

 

First off the goal should be prevention.  This especially holds true for potential internal disasters, as you have more control to prevent disasters from happening. 

 

If disaster strikes, however, you need to be prepared.   At least a couple of company personnel should have CPR training.  There should be clear and precise directions posted everywhere regarding evacuation procedures.   Management protocols need to be determined on how to make sure everyone has been accounted for, and for any additional steps that need to be taken.  There also needs to be first aid kits and fire extinguishers located throughout the premise. 

 

One example of planning ahead to recover from an internal company disaster would be by regularly backing up all data externally through an online backup service.   You might even work in an organization, such as a telephone service provider, who should have a backup plan in order to continue to provide service to its customers during a major disaster. 

 

Here is a list of organizations that can help with disaster preparation strategies:

 

FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency)

American Red Cross Disaster Services

The National Hurricane Center

The National Fire Plan

Center for Disease Control and Prevention

 

Make it a point to make sure your company has preventive measures in place, and is able to react to the best of its abilities to any possible emergencies or disasters.