Safeguarding your business from an earthquake is imperative to maintaining daily operations and protecting your bottom line. Even a small period of downtime could have a significant impact on your goals. This is why it’s critical to devise a disaster preparation plan that elevates your control of an otherwise unpredictable situation. Here’s what every business owner should know.

Creating an Earthquake Emergency Management Plan

1. Create an Emergency Kit

Because disaster can strike at any time, it’s important to prepare an emergency kit to see you through those initial days. Earthquakes can leave people without power, water, electricity, and other necessities. Basing your kit on a Red Cross emergency preparedness package is the best way to ensure that you have everything you and your employees need, including food, water, batteries, a radio, a flashlight, a first-aid kit, and personal hygiene essentials.  

2. Understand How to React

Make sure that you have a disaster preparation plan in place. Everyone should understand what to do when an earthquake occurs; according to the Earthquake Country Alliance, it’s best to “drop, cover, and hold on” until the event stops. Perform regular drills and devise an evacuation plan if it is safe to transfer to another location. During your practice sessions, make allowances for potential hazards, like fallen objects, that you may encounter.   

3. Protect Your Vital Information

A key part of disaster preparation for businesses is avoiding proprietary losses. You can prevent this by storing all of your essential documentation in waterproof holders. These are ideal for keeping financial statements, insurance policy details, employee information, and other vital records within easy, safe reach. You can also make digital copies of your documents so that you never have to worry about potential damage.

4. Create a Continuity Plan

The goal of any business continuity plan is to ensure that your company is operational in the aftermath of the earthquake. Determine how your business may be affected by time off, create a data recovery plan, and implement procedures that allow your business to remain functional even if you can’t work on site. By assessing the best way to handle a natural disaster, you can quickly handle the situation without putting your business at risk.

The suddenness of an earthquake can quickly lead to chaos and catastrophe. Creating a disaster preparation outline with the assistance of Command Solutions in St. Charles County, MO, ensures that you’re ready when any type of event strikes. Whether you want to devise an intuitive business continuity plan or need to strategize your emergency management efforts from scratch, you can trust these professionals to help. Visit their website for information or call them at (314) 803-7418.