Does your business have an emergency evacuation plan?
We’ve discussed the importance of havingan SPCC plan, as well as emergency response solutions. But with thespate of firesthat have plagued California in the past few years, not to mention the hurricanes and tornadoes in other parts of the country,more and more businesses are realizing they need not just an emergency response plan, but an emergency evacuation plan as well.
This is a smart strategy wherever you live and work.
If you need to grab and go (and we’re not talking about a quick lunch!), it’s wise to have an “evac pak” so you’re ready to run. Hopefully, you’ll never need to use it. But this is why insurance companies exist, and charge hefty premiums so you’re prepared, and covered, in the unlikely event something happens to your home.
Prepare, Prevent, Protect
What ought to go into an evac pak? Imagine needing to run your business fully remotely for an unspecified period of time. You’ll probably want to include:
- Back-up hard drive and/or flash drive with all relevant business files. Set up a regular calendar alert to be sure you update this backup drive at least weekly, or even daily. Yes, you can upload everything to the cloud or to your phone, but for immediate access offline, a hard drive comes in handy.
- Sturdy, comfortable shoes and several pairs of socks.
- Crucial, portable “tools of the trade” you can’t easily replace.
- Non-perishable food for at least several days: protein bars, trail mix, camping meals that just need water to reconstitute.
- Spill clean up solutions. In an emergency evacuation, a 2-liter bag ofXSORB Universaland canister ofBiofresh Super Absorbent with Disinfectanttravel well, and can handle most immediate spill clean up needs that may arise while working remotely. It might be smart to pack a pair offlock lined general duty latex glovesas well, which are ideal for sanitation and maintenance.
If you live in an area that’s prone to a certain type of natural disaster, such as tornadoes or hurricanes, chances are you’ve been prepare to evacuate for some time. But for those of us caught unaware by recent catastrophes, the time to prepare for future evacuations is now.
