Disaster Prevention:
Basic Tips for Small Business

While no one can predict exactly what will happen in a disaster, there's much you can do to reduce your exposure.

The first step is to create a disaster preparedness plan. Even something very simple could help greatly. The most important aspects of your plan are to make it practical and easy to maintain.

A good disaster preparedness plan starts with disaster prevention. General prevention is mostly good common sense. Natural catastrophes such as wildfires, major storms and earthquakes can quickly convert your office or facility into a danger zone if you're not prepared.

Disaster prevention steps

Here are some basic steps for safeguarding your employees and business from unnecessary damage:

• Pay attention to public warnings. Don't second-guess evacuation orders. Better to err on the side of caution.
• Establish emergency evacuation procedures.
• Keep fire extinguishers and first aid kits on hand and check them regularly.
• Keep a cell phone programmed with emergency contact and employee numbers.
• Back up your data daily. Keep a copy offsite.
• Regularly update your insurance info: equipment, inventory, etc. Keep a copy of this offsite as well.
• Look for fall hazards: piled boxes, overhead materials, and so forth. Rearrange to protect you and your people from unnecessary harm.
• Don't let debris, empty containers or recyclable materials pile up.
• Avoid overstocking flammable items, such as fuel or materials with a rapid flash point (such as loose paper and cardboard).
• Use appropriate safety containers for flammable items.
• Establish a firebreak around your facility if possible, and internal firebreaks as well, such as a ten-foot perimeter around propane tanks if you have them.
• Keep tree branches trimmed back from structures, equipment and inventory.
• Try to separate equipment, inventory, and storage items in order to mitigate the domino effect of fire spreading to all areas of your business.

These suggestions are just a sample of what you can do to avoid unnecessary damage. Walk through your office or facility and imagine what could happen if it was suddenly hit by a fire or flood. Your common sense will guide you to make the necessary adjustments in order to minimize your exposure to devastation.

But no amount of disaster prevention will stop the force of nature. Sometimes it's unavoidable. For those times, you need a strategy ... before disaster strikes.

Related topics:

Elements of a Good Disaster Prevention Plan

Preparing for Disaster - Is Your Business Protected?

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