Canada
Ireland
What is a disaster?
A disaster is a sudden or unforeseen event that can cause significant damage. It can put potentially irreplaceable items at risk of destruction. The causes of disasters include:
|
|
Many disasters remain out of our control but how we respond can minimise the impact.
Preventing a disaster in the first instance is always preferable. Where possible, put preventative measures in place based on assessments of your building, contents and activities.
Disaster recovery planning is the next step and uses those assessments to detail the key actions to take if the worst should happen.
Starting with prevention
Of course, prevention is better than cure.
With that in mind, assess all risks (indoors and out) to identify the likelihood and impact of a range of possible events.
Systematically look at each area of your premises, taking specific activities and circumstances into account. The assessment should note all significant hazards and risks along with any existing safety measures.
Act straight away to reduce obvious risks (such as unnecessary storage of combustible materials like old paperwork). Prioritise your response to other risks based on the extent of possible damage and the value of what might be lost.
Depending on the scale and design of your building, precautionary action like compartmentalisation can minimise the spread of a fire. You may prefer early detection systems over a suppression system to reduce the possibility of accidental water damage.
Inspection and maintenance
Another essential step towards effective prevention is to have a robust system for inspection and a programme of regular maintenance.
Deterioration of buildings can increase a number of risks such as fire, slips and trips, leakage and security breaches. These issues are more likely in historic buildings and can worsen the impact of an emergency incident.
Regular maintenance and monitoring will minimise risk and nip any issues in the bud, and could save you a great deal of worry and expense in the long term.
Maintenance steps
Flooding and water damage
- Keep your roof in good order and have any missing or slipped tiles replaced.
- Clear roof valleys, gutters, hoppers and downpipes regularly to prevent overflow.
- Regularly check storm drains and soakaways for blockages.
- Any trees near the property should also be regularly inspected and maintained by a competent person.
- Lag all water installations, including pipes and tanks, to protect them from freezing.
- You may want to consider installing a water leak detection system.
Fire
- Ensure your electrical wiring is properly inspected and maintained in accordance with ‘Requirements for Electrical Installations’ issued by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), current edition, plus any formal amendments under British Standard BS7671. Any alterations or extensions should always be carried out by an approved contractor.
- Keep all electrical switchgear panels and cupboards free of storage and combustible materials. They should be easily accessible.
- Regularly test your fire detection system and on-site firefighting equipment to ensure they are in good working order.
- Gas appliances should be inspected annually by a Gas Safe registered contractor.
- Boiler houses should be of fire resisting construction and should never be used to store inflammable material.
- Avoid portable heating appliances altogether if possible. If they are used, place them well clear of combustible materials.
- All portable electrical appliances must be regularly tested by a qualified electrician with details logged and dated for reference. Repair any damage to wiring, plugs and sockets as soon as it’s discovered.
- Tidy and remove all rubbish and combustible materials that might constitute a fire hazard. If you need to store it, use external lockable lidded metal bins or skips.
- Keep all exit routes free of obstructions. Make sure all fire exit doors are easily opened from the inside and never lock them when the building is occupied.
- If you have open fires, ensure that all fireplaces have adequate fireguards or mesh fire curtains in good repair.
- Get chimneys regularly swept by a HETAS registered chimney engineer and have flue linings checked for decay.
What is a disaster recovery plan?
Very simply, a disaster recovery plan describes how you will react to an emergency, how you will try to limit damage to buildings and precious items, and the steps you will take to get back to normal.
Disaster recovery planning - the key steps
Responsibilities and tasks
Knowing exactly who does what in the event of an emergency can help achieve an effective response. Think about any training needs as part of your preparation. Planning in advance for the activities that need to happen as soon as the incident strikes and throughout recovery - even at a high level - will help you to take control of a situation quickly.
Emergency plan
The emergency plan should detail what to do in the first minutes and hours after disaster strikes, who to contact and the information you’ll need to gather.
Communications plan
In an emergency, how do you inform the people who need to know? How will you continue any business activity? Your communications plan should detail who needs to know what, when, including staff, service users, volunteers, trustees and the media.
Recovery plan
After any immediate danger has passed, the next step is carrying out the salvage process, with a focus on minimising long-term damage and getting back to normal as quickly as possible.
Disaster recovery plans don’t come ‘off the shelf’. They need to be tailored to your own unique circumstances. This guide is designed to give you a quick yet comprehensive overview of the sorts of issues that you‘ll need to consider when putting your plan together.
At the same time, we’ve created a series of notes (templates, forms and checklists) to help.