Preparing Your Business for Emergencies #OKready #Open4Business

There are many ways business owners can prepare their organizations for emergencies. The Ready Campaign can assist entrepreneurs in developing a preparedness program by providing tools to create a plan that addresses the impact of many hazards. The five steps in developing a preparedness program are Program Management, Planning,Implementation, Testing and Exercises, and Program Improvement. For example, your business’ program management plan should include short and long-term objectives that protect the safety of employees, visitors, contractors and others at risk from hazards at the facility. The objectives of a preparedness program include:   Establish a program committee that includes wide participation from your company; Conduct a business impact analysis to identify the operational and financial impacts from an interruption or disruption of your business; Protect the safety of your employees by developing evacuation, sheltering and lockdown plans. Conduct employee training and drills; Upgrade the protection of the facility by installing a fire sprinkler system; and Build a culture of preparedness in the workplace and encourage employees to have a plan at home. Visit ready.gov/business for more information on how you can prepare your business for an emergency. You can also check out the Prepare Your Organization playbooks from America’s PrepareAthon! Find a playbook for each of the campaign’s featured hazards on page 2 when you click on the link.