Disaster literally means, “against the stars,” yet being disaster-ready is a down-to-earth practice. Here are the crucial steps to take so you’re prepared for any eventuality, both at work and at home:
- Have a plan in place. This sounds so basic people often fail to do it, rationalizing that there’s always tomorrow. But if you’re at the office, on the road, or even at home when the Big One hits (as happened in northern California in 1989), there’s no time to prepare, only to react. So create your SPCC plan now, and stock up on appropriate supplies, such as XSORB Spill Kits, spill berms for your truck or other vehicle, and a bag of XSORB Universal Spill Clean-up for the home.
- Work it. Does your company have a disaster plan? If it’s your own business, it’s up to you to create one. If you’re a staff member, ask your employer about an emergency plan. You might even volunteer to be floor captain or part of the business’s emergency response team.
- Know your niche. If you live in an area that’s prone to a certain type of natural event, such as tornadoes, wildfires, earthquakes or floods, seek out location-specific training to prepare for the kind of emergencies most likely to affect your community.
- Enroll in basic training. Sign up for first aid and CPR classes. In an emergency situation and its aftermath, your knowledge may mean the difference between life and death during the vital moments it takes for trained responders to arrive on the scene.
