Protect Your Human Resources

As described in the previous sections, to respond efficiently during an emergency situation, a business needs to have an established Business Continuity Plan or program. Emergency planning should be an ongoing effort. There should be at least an annual test of emergency response plans and additional training/tests of procedures and policies.

Every employee is essential to the continuity of a business. For that reason, employers need to determine how the workforce will be managed prior, during and after an emergency. Managing the workforce includes having employer strategies and having prepared employees.

Awareness and Reporting Policies

A first step in preventing disasters is management and staff who are aware of their surroundings, the hazards to which they are vulnerable, and the necessary communication among them allowing concerns to be voiced and addressed. Americans have become much more aware of potential threats to our homeland. However, many, probably most people do not expect an emergency to affect their business, home or community. However, no business, home or community is immune to natural or technological disasters or acts of violence.

The best defense is a good offense. Employers and employees must be aware of potential problems, unusual occurrences, suspicious activity, and/or security risks. The BCP should address awareness and reporting policies. Management and employees should be trained in how to recognize potential threats and how to report them.

An example of awareness training may include how to recognize warning signals of potentially violent employees. Below is an excerpt from the Violence in the Workplace Fact Sheet on recognizing the warning signals.

Potential warning signals may alert you to any employee or person in the workplace who could become violent. Changes in behavior are important to note in most cases. Look for patterns of changing behavior.

No single warning signal, in isolation is a reliable predictor of violence. Some factors may include:
Major changes in personal appearance, attitude or behavior
Change in personal relationships
Reduction in job efficiency or productivity
History of violent, reckless or antisocial behavior
Unusual interest in or unexplained preoccupation with weapons or bringing weapons to work
Serious stress in the employee's life
Substance abuse
Unexplained signals of physical injury
Agitation
Unexplained interest in what you do at work.

Awareness and reporting policies should not only cover violence, but any breach of security that can compromise safety or business operations. A safe workplace should also be free of the threat of theft or sabotage. Employees also should report any activity including unauthorized access to property or building without an owner's or manager's permission, duplication of keys or access cards, threats of retaliation. The BCP, in addition to the Employee Manual, should reflect the policies and reporting procedures for all concerns that can have an impact on safety, security and business operations.

Employee Training

All employees will require some form of preparedness training. This should include periodic employee discussions, staff meetings or desk and tabletop exercises to review safety procedures, evacuation plans, and recovery plans. Most importantly, employees should know what their individual roles and responsibilities are in an emergency situation. The Business Continuity Plan (BCP) should address the following elements that should be conveyed to employees in writing (such as the Employee Manual) and covered in staff meetings/training.

Individual roles and responsibilities.
Information about the hazards most likely to affect your business.
Awareness and reporting policies.
Security issues.
Notification and warning procedures.
Post-disaster communication procedures.
Emergency Response Procedures (see Checklists in Appendices).
Evacuation procedures.
Location and use of emergency equipment, such as fire extinguishers.
Emergency shutdown procedures.
Re-entry
Recovery

Employee Preparedness

Employers should recognize and understand that employees are concerned foremost about the safety and well-being of their families during an emergency situation. Although the employer is responsible for assuring business continuity, employees have the responsibility of working together during an emergency situation to ensure that the business is restored efficiently. For that reason, it is critical that every employee develop a family emergency plan before an emergency situation arises. It is the employee's responsibility to develop a personal emergency plan. However, an employer needs to communicate expectations in regards to employee performance before, during and after a disaster and provide emergency preparedness guidance to their employees.

Guidance should include information on how to develop and promote personal preparedness. Information brochures are available to citizens from numerous agencies to help guide home and family preparations. This information should be relayed back to management so that they understand the plans of their employees. Potential conflicts should be resolved before the disaster strikes.

There are numerous sources of guidance available on government web sites such as www.fema.gov and www.floridadisaster.org. Local information is also available through the Florida Regional Councils, the local emergency management agencies and the local chapters of the American Red Cross. Florida companies also have extensive programs to better prepare their employees including the TECO Energy's Get Ready! (See Employee Family Disaster Plan, Checklist 3 in Appendices in the Guidebook or on the checklists page of this site).

Before developing a personal preparedness plan, an employee should learn about the emergency management plans and activities in their community in order to know:

How the local government is protecting them from possible hazard,
How to coordinate their emergency plan with those of the community, and
How to use resources available in the community.

An employee plan should include the following information:

Home and Family Preparation
Alternate shelter for the employee and dependents ("dependents" are defined as those for whom the employee is directly responsible). Each plan should have two additional contingency plans. Early evacuation to emergency shelters is strongly recommended.
Protection of Personal Property
- Advance arrangements for home preparation and protection of personal property. The plan needs to address all but the most severe damages.
- Information regarding insurance policies after an emergency.
- In the event my home is damaged, what am I required to do to protect/secure my home until it can be properly repaired?
- Can I make repairs to my home prior to an inspection by the claims adjuster?
- Are there any restrictions or requirements for the company that will repair my home? (I.e., licensed, bonded prior approval by insurance company, etc.)
- A schedule to inspect homes before hurricane season and to make necessary repairs/arrangements to reduce the risk of exposure to severe damage.
- Additional materials, equipment, and arrangements should be considered to expedite repairs after a hurricane.
All emergency planning information distributed by emergency agencies should be taken into consideration before a plan is formulated. Some of these considerations include, but are not limited to:
- Home preparedness (i.e., current maintenance needs, repair supplies, storage area, etc.);
- Evacuation zones and flood zones;
- Geographic conditions that may affect the home (i.e., trees, rivers, creeks, remote area, etc.); and
- Road conditions between home and the work location (i.e., the amount of trees on the route that may block transportation, the flood zones along evacuation route, etc.)
Dependent Care
Plan for emergency dependent care in advance for children and elderly dependent(s) or ill family members. One plan with two additional contingency plans for dependent care needs. The plan should include family emergency meeting location (primary and secondary).
Contact numbers up to date and programmed in cell phones.
Medical/Dental

Information regarding primary care. Determine which substitute physician, if any shouldbe contacted in an emergency situation if the primary physician is unavailable.
Medical Supplies/Special Medical Needs - Employees with special medical needs or those who are taking prescription drugs should consult with their physician or pharmacist for such details as storage of prescription or non-prescription medications (i.e. baby formula, insulin, heart medication, etc.) in the event of an emergency situation. (see family critical worksheet)
A copy of medical records for each family member. Records should include current prescription dosages.
Address and telephone number of the nearest hospital.

Cash and Scarce Resources
A plan to obtain cash. Automatic teller machines (ATMs) may not work. Cash requirements may greatly increase for everyone during an emergency situation. The potential exists for the local economy to resort to a "cash basis society".
Missing Persons
The Red Cross handles requests for locating missing persons in the event of an emergency. Direct employees to contact their local Red Cross Chapter if a family member or friend needs to be located.
Pet Care

Specify special pet needs.
Provide information, if possible, regarding Animal Services and what services could be expected.
List boarding houses that could be contacted for pet shelter information.
Have one plan with two additional contingency plans for pet care needs.

Personal Transportation

Make advanced arrangements to prepare vehicles and consider alternatives if the primary means of transportation are eliminated. Insurance company can provide information about the requirements and restrictions of the policy after an emergency. This inquiry should include questions such as:
- In the event my vehicle is damaged by the event, what am I required to do to protect/secure the vehicle until it can be properly inspected and repaired?
- Can I use and/or make repairs to my vehicle prior to an inspection by the claims adjuster?
- Are there any restrictions or requirements for the repair company (i.e., licensed, bonded, prior approval by insurance company, etc.) that will repair my vehicle?
Transportation after a major event will be difficult because of road conditions and other limitations brought on by the emergency. Employees in remote areas are encouraged to take into consideration the road conditions between their homes and work locations, the amount of trees on the route that may block transportation, and their personal vehicle availability and readiness. Special plans can be made in advance to minimize the potential of being stranded.
Communications

Repair of electric lines takes precedence over phone line repair; cellular phone service may be restored first and may become a primary means of communication.
How will you communicate with your family if separated?

Security Issues

Handling mail, visitors and deliveries Letters containing Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) have been received by mail in several areas in the United States. In some instances, anthrax exposures have occurred, infecting several persons. To prevent such exposures and subsequent infection, all persons should learn how to recognize a suspicious package or envelope and take appropriate steps to protect themselves and others. See Checklist 24 in Appendix Handling Suspicious Parcels and Letters. Train employees and post procedures where mail is handled.

Restricting Access

As discussed previously, Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) incorporates strategies that have been demonstrated to reduce the vulnerability to crime/violence. These same strategies should be employed to provide security and safety for employees, clients and customers.

While no one wants to feel confined and business typically does not want to present an inaccessible or unwelcome environment, every business needs to be aware of its vulnerability to the outside world. Each business must assess its risk to crime and violence and then balance that risk with the need to project a welcoming atmosphere for customers and clients as well as the general community. Some degree of security is required for every business to ensure the safety of employees.

In assessing your risk and the opportunities to increase security without inconveniencing your staff or customers, consider the four CPTED Strategies:

Natural Surveillance promotes features that maximize visibility of people, parking areas and building entrances, e.g., doors/windows oriented toward streets and parking areas, streets/sidewalks that are pedestrian friendly, and adequate night lighting.
Territorial Reinforcement is well-defined property lines that distinguish private spaces from public spaces through the use of landscaping, pavement design, gateways and fences, art, and other elements. This can give the property users a better sense of control over their surrounding environment and a sense of ownership, which can discourage potential criminals.
Natural Access Control is attained through highlighting building entrances, streets and sidewalks, and neighborhood entrances/gateways as clearly public areas, and utilizing structural elements to limit access to private spaces.
Target Hardening is the use of security devices to increase the perception of risk in an offender by inhibiting their access to certain areas, e.g., window locks, dead bolts, interior door hinges, security lights, cameras, etc.