National Preparedness Month

National Preparedness Month Emergencies can happen at any time, so it is important to stay prepared both at home and at work! DISASTER PREVALENCE & COST Insured Losses: Hurricane Sandy (2012) $20 Billion CLOSED Hurricane Katrina (2005) Hurricanes and tropical storms make up Approximately Up to $48.4 Billion 44% 1,200 40% Hurricane Andrew (1992) tornadoes strike the U.S. of businesses affected by $25.4 Billion of total catastophe losses. each year. a natural or human-caused disaster never reopen. When preparing for an emergency, all businesses should consider: 2$ TIMING when the emergency would be of greatest impact to your site DURATION OPERATIONAL IMPACT FINANCIAL IMPACT how long the emergency would impact your business how would the overall business be what is the impact to the business's affected if work cannot continue bottom line if work cannot continue Preparedness is as easy as 1-2-3! 3. Get a kit Make a plan Be informed You should have a kit for home, work, and in your vehicle. It's never too early to start creating and practicing an emergency preparedness plan. Know how to "Shelter-In-Place" at home, work, and in-between. Emergency Kits should contain any or all of the following items: At Home: At Home: • Create an evacuation plan that all family members are familiar with. • Keep documents in a fire-proof box (medication lists, deed/lease to home, birth certificates, passports, licenses, insurance policies). • Ensure that all family members know where to find important phone numbers. • Choose a room in advance for your shelter. The best room is one with as few • Water • Food • Flashlight • Battery-powered or hand-crank radio • Extra batteries • First aid kit Medications (7-day supply) and medical items Multi-purpose tool • Sanitation and personal hygiene items • Cell phone with chargers • Family and emergency contact information • Extra cash • Emergency blanket • Map(s) of the area windows and doors as possible. A large room, preferably with a water supply. At Work: • Know where the shelter-in-place locations in your workplace will be. • Safety volunteers or recruits should be assigned specific duties during an emergency. Alternates should be assigned to each duty in case a safety leader is absent. At Work: • Familiarize yourself with the company's warning system and evacuation procedures. • Develop a "business continuity" plan for your workgroup or employees. • Place emergency contact information in an easy-to-access area. Sources: "Business Impact Analysis Worksheet." Ready.gov. 2013. Available at http://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/documents/files/BusinesslmpactAnalysis_Worksheet_0.pdf. Accessed August 18, 2013. "Catastrophe Facts and Statistics." Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association. 2013. Available at MediFit http://www.rmiia.org/Catastrophes_and_Statistics/catastrophes.asp#national. Accessed August 18, 2013. "Emergency Preparedness and Response." Centers for Disease Control website. 2011. Available at http://emergency.cdc.gov/preparedness/. Accessed August 18, 2013.