Summer is not without its share of hazards due to the hot weather. From storms triggering electrical outages to droughts and heat domes that can contribute to wildfires (which in turn can cause poor air quality), all these hazards have the potential to cause detrimental impacts to your organization.
With our summers becoming hotter due to climate change, your company’s infrastructure, including your technology, facilities, and staffing could be impacted. So, it’s important your emergency and continuity management program addresses summer hazards.
Have alternatives in the event of utility outages
All businesses and organizations are reliant on utilities. And in summer, the potential for restrictions or interruptions to your electricity, water, and natural gas increases. The American Meteorological Association notes “facilities lose their capability to provide (health) services when they lose critical services such as power, HVAC and plumbing or when they have limited staff.”
What if your office loses air conditioning due to a power outage, or your warehouse experiences process limitations because of water restrictions? By having a well-managed alternative at the ready in the event of an interruption to utilities can help minimize business disruption.
Emergency management plans must account for technology disruptions
Computer data centres rely on electricity (and often water as well) to cool the components and prevent damage. This makes them highly vulnerable in the event of utility outages. And on the digital front, technology interruptions not only reduce productivity, they can also pose risks to the confidentiality of your intellectual property and impact your reputation if your customer can’t access you through your website or social media.
Have a strong business continuity plan
Having a strong management plan for your business’s continuity, specifically for when your organization’s capacity and capabilities are limited, is imperative. Include work arounds, alternatives, and redundancies in your planning this summer, rain or shine. Finally, reviewing and reinforcing the importance of preparedness with your teams, executives and stakeholders is key.
Contact us for customized business continuity planning
Preparing your business for emergencies, such as extreme weather, is critical. For more information, contact us and we’ll be happy to discuss what we offer so you can be better prepared for summer emergencies.
Related resources
· BC Hydro: Prepare your business for an outage
· BC Hydro: Extreme weather shatters electricity demand records in 2021