1) Is Your Business Prepared for An Natural Disaster or Emergency? by Consuelo Meux (Posted: May 30, 2007) When a natural disaster such as a tornado, hurricane, earthquake or other situations strike an area, your business location is also vulnerable. In the aftermath of recent natural disasters, it is obvious that emergencies or disasters do not just affect homes. Preparing a safety plan ahead of time could save you a lot of heartache business wise. It could make the difference between getting started again or not in your business after the disaster. Here are some quick tips to think about to help you prepare a safety plan for your business. People Preparedness Are your employees ready to handle an emergency? These tips could help: * Find out if one of your employees is certified to teach CPR and help them organize a training class for others. If not, contact the Red Cross and have a special employee training. You could invite people from other companies to the training as a great public relations move. It also adds benefits for everyone in the community to have as much CPR training as possible. * Keep a well-stocked first aid kit on the premises. Assign someone to check the kit periodically to make sure the kit stays well stocked with fresh supplies. Be sure everyone knows the location of the emergency kit. Also, encourage each person to keep a supply of necessary items for their personal needs in a safe and confidential place on the premises or in their vehicle if it is nearby. * Be sure you have access to extra water in case you get stuck on the premises. The usual recommended amount of emergency water is three gallons per day per person. Store sufficient amounts of bottled water and freshen the supply every six months. * Assign someone to keep a list of phone numbers of your employees in a secure place both on and off the premises. This can be used as a role call sheet to be sure everyone is out of a building in the case of evacuation. You can also use it to check on the safety and condition of employees who are at work and those that are not during an emergency. Maintain the confidentiality of employees by not distributing this list without the permission of each person. Office Preparedness You should also prepare your business premises for emergencies. Here are a few brief ideas to get your office plan going: * Have an escape plan and practice escape drills on a regular basis. * Invite the local fire department to inspect the building for possible hazards, help to develop an emergency plan, and to train staff for disasters or emergencies. * Know where to find the fuse box and the availability of emergency lighting in the building. Keep flashlights and fresh batteries in obvious places. * If the building is uninhabitable after the emergency, determine where you would relocate to on a temporary basis so employees and customers can get to you. * Designate a reliable person to keep an extra set of office keys off the premises along with a copy of the alarm codes in case you cannot get to your office in an emergency. Learn more Preparing a safety plan ahead of time could save you a lot of heartache and make the difference between getting started again or not in your business after the disaster. Hopefully, this article will get you started in thinking about how you can get your business prepared to face an unexpected emergency or disaster. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Consuelo_Meux