Preparing for an emergency in Lancashire
If you run a business in Lancashire, it is crucial that you are aware of the local, regional and national risks that could disrupt your operations. A disaster such as flooding, power outage, cyber-attack or supply chain issue could strike at any time. Therefore business-owners and managers should assess how they can be prepared for all eventualities and put a plan in place.
How could this affect my business?
Without sufficient preparation, many businesses would struggle to overcome the effects of a disruptive event. Carrying out a risk knowledge assessment and planning for the worst-case scenario will help your company ride the storm, limiting damage where possible, and ensuring you have a recovery strategy ready. This forms the basis of a Business Continuity Plan.
What is a Business Continuity Plan?
A Business Continuity Plan provides a strategy for prevention and recovery from potential threats to a company. It ensures resilience by identifying the elements you cannot afford to lose - such as information, stock, premises, staff, equipment, utilities and cash flow - and planning how to maintain them if an incident occurs.
For example, having contingency plans in the event of a power outage is critical since it could completely shut down your business, preventing access to vital documents and the ability to contact key personnel. Steps to protect your organisation could include investing in an emergency generator and making plans for how personnel can find and/or get in touch with each other in a blackout.
What to do If there is an emergency?
Find out and understand the risks to your business in the county, and nationally.
Think about what can be done to lessen the risk, for example use more than one supplier, choose secure passwords.
Produce and maintain an up-to-date Business Continuity Plan, including details such as:
How to stay informed if something happens.
What your business-critical resources are.
How to communicate to your staff and customers about the issues you are facing.
Once you have a robust plan in place, practice what would happen if you needed to activate it, including ensuring it's accessible away from the office.
Where can I find more advice and information?
The North West Cyber Resilience Centre
The North West Cyber Resilience Centre (NWCRC) supports businesses of all sizes with training and are a not-for-profit, police-led partnership providing small businesses with affordable, professional cybersecurity services.
Business_Continuity_Managment_Toolkit.pdf
The Business Continuity Management Toolkit (publishing.service.gov.uk) is an HM Government guide to BCM.
The Business Continuity Institute
The Business Continuity Institute is a knowledge hub containing reports, case studies and webinars.
Business Continuity Plan Template
A template business continuity plan you can use for your business
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency provides useful information on flooding, tools to find out if you are at risk of flooding, and how to sign up for flood warnings.
The Flood Hub
The Flood Hub has specific flood-related information for businesses.
Would you be ready?
This assessment tool from Business in the Community provides a checklist to help improve the resilience of an organisation.
Being prepared for a power cut
Electricity North West can provide help and advice.
