4 Types of Workplace Emergencies and How Your Business Can Prepare for Them

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Emergencies can happen at any time and in any place. It only makes sense, then, to ensure that you’re ready to face any type of unexpected event that comes your way or happens to occur in your place of business. By having an emergency and backup plan in place, you’re giving your business the best chance of recovering quickly after a disastrous event, reducing your losses as well as securing your livelihood and that of the people you work with. 

In order to prepare for an emergency situation in the workplace, however, you need to have a clear idea of the types of events that can take place. There are 4 broad groups of disasters that you should prepare for. These are:

Operational Emergencies

Even a company that works like a well-oiled machine can run into urgent issues and challenges that might compromise its productivity and prevent it from meeting its deadlines. At a time when many business functions are entirely dependent on digital systems, human errors can still lead to standstills in the operational process. Moreover, there’s the ever-present threat of cybersecurity attacks and the possibility of technological glitches that can paralyze operations and cost a lot of money for every hour of work lost.

Implementing a private cloud disaster recovery solution, for one, provides a business with the capability to regularly backup data to multiple locations. This solution enables businesses to retrieve critical applications and files from the cloud in a matter of minutes, or run business operations on the cloud if anything goes awry in the workplace. By having a reliable backup and recovery solution for digital systems and tools, businesses can minimize losses and damages due to unforeseen data-related disasters.

SEE ALSO: Would You Text 911 in an Emergency?

Natural Emergencies

There are plenty of emergencies that originate from nature. Perhaps your office is in the middle of the path of a strong storm that can threaten your water and electricity supply and connection to the internet. Or maybe your area is long overdue for a strong earthquake, or there’s a chance that forest fires can spread to your place of business. These emergencies not only impact the work that you do, but they can also prevent you from getting a prompt response from emergency responders or other people who can offer you practical assistance in times of urgent need. 

To prepare for natural emergencies, you need to anticipate what will likely threaten your business. Early into the process of setting up your company, you should have a clear idea of the natural disasters that frequently take place in your area and how you can respond to each properly.

If your business is located along the tornado alley or the hurricane alley, for example, then it’s a smart move to have a disaster recovery plan in place should strong winds, floods, and other extreme weather events occur. Preparing for emergency events with possible widespread effects will help you and your team make important decisions quickly in case you’re affected in any way by these disasters. 

Occupational Emergencies

Work-related emergencies make up the bulk of unexpected incidents that companies will likely go through. The specific events under these occupational emergencies can vary greatly depending on the nature of the business, but medical emergencies due to illness or injury can occur in any place of work. There are also occupations and workplaces that are deemed to be more dangerous than others. This means that the people in these places may have a higher risk of suffering work-related injuries or being affected by work-related adverse events like malfunctioning machinery, fires, explosions, chemical spills, and dangerous gas leaks. 

Again, depending on the nature of the business, a company may need to hire an employee or a consultant whose sole job is to ensure that everyone in the team is observing safety protocols as people are going about their jobs. There are also occupations where one will be required to undergo safety training and first-aid courses so that they know how to react in case someone gets injured or the place becomes unsafe. 

SEE ALSO: Helpful Gadgets for Emergency Situations

Civil Emergencies

Finally, there are emergencies that are civil in origin and may impact the vicinity of one’s workplace. If there’s unrest, riot, or protest, for example, there is a risk that nearby businesses will be affected by the event and sustain damage from it. Civil emergencies can also include harassment issues within the company or violent encounters between employees or customers.

To a degree, a workplace needs to have an emergency plan in place for civil emergencies. Perhaps it’s much safer to suspend on-site work or set up a work-from-home arrangement if there’s credible news that a potentially violent event can occur nearby.

If the company has a cloud-based work platform where employees can do their jobs, this can help the business avert possible losses despite disruptions in their regular production. It’s also a smart idea to have an evacuation plan in place in case a peaceful event nearby escalates or becomes a threat to the company, its employees, and its facilities. 

Conclusion

It’s important to implement a disaster recovery solution, like what Quorum provides, so you’re prepared for operational and natural disasters. But business owners or managers should also be aware of the other types of emergencies that can occur in the workplace, like occupational and civil emergencies. By familiarizing your employees with these 4 different types of disasters, you are taking one solid step toward ensuring your company and personnel’s safety.