Emergencies can strike without warning at any time, which is why it’s so important to be prepared— especially small businesses. Having a thorough emergency preparedness plan, means you are more likely to be able to overcome the material losses and damages caused by unforeseen disasters. Bigger companies always have comprehensive continuity plans in place, while many small businesses maintain the most basic. If any at all.
To get started, ask yourself three key questions:
- Is your business prepared for an unforeseen, acute and critical emergency?
- Do you have any defined procedures in place to follow in the event of an emergency?
- What types of emergencies are you prepared for?
Answering these questions will expose the strengths and shortcomings of your current approach, highlighting areas for improvement.
Guidelines for Emergencies to Keep Your Commercial Property Insurance in Calgary Low
Use this checklist to establish a basic emergency preparedness plan for your small business:
- Make sure employees understand the circumstances that would necessitate an evacuation
- Designate primary and secondary emergency evacuation exits
- Ensure that emergency evacuation routes are capable of handling a large volume of people
- Perform practice evacuations at least once a year to make sure everyone on the team knows what to do in the event of an actual emergency
- Create a system for accounting for every member of the team once an evacuation has taken place
- Write up a list of emergency evacuation procedures and post them in a place where they are highly visible and easily accessible to all employees
- Define a safe area outside the building where employees should gather following an emergency evacuation
Employee education and training initiatives form an integral part of any emergency preparedness plan. Here are the recommended guidelines business owners and managers should follow:
- Designate senior employees to be in charge during an emergency or evacuation situation
- Educate employees on the different types of threats and establish a notification system that ensures everyone on the team will be made aware of a threat if one should occur
- Create evacuation maps and plans, and ensure they are clearly posted and easily accessible to employees as well as customers
- Hold emergency response training sessions at least once a year, and make sure that all new employees receive proper instruction in your established emergency procedures
- Be sure to update your emergency preparedness policies whenever your business adds a new piece of equipment or infrastructure that has the potential to contribute to an emergency situation
Finally, it’s important to think about what will happen to your business after an emergency. Depending on the nature of the disaster, it may be necessary to provide temporary day care for the children of employees, or crisis counselling to help ease the psychological and emotional strain of trauma. Be sure to research local resources so you know where to turn if you need these types of support services.
Industry-Specific and Specialized Insurance Considerations
While Calgary commercial property insurance will provide the basic protections all businesses need, you should also audit your coverage to make sure you’ve got all your bases covered. There are several types of industry-specific and specialized forms of commercial insurance available, including things like oil and gas insurance, contractor’s insurance, and vehicle insurance for fleet owners.
Also, even if you’ve already got the right type of insurance for your business, make sure it protects you from all the different perils that could cause financial headaches, legal liabilities or business interruptions. For example, is your business protected from all the various types of winter liability concerns? Do you have protections in place that will provide financial relief if your office or key pieces of intellectual or material property are damaged or destroyed? Where will your business go if a fire destroys your current location, and how will you pay for the move?
Get a Fast, Free Calgary Commercial Property Insurance Quote From Lane’s Insurance
If you don’t have answers to all these questions, or if you have additional concerns, trust the professionals at Lane’s Insurance to provide all the help you need. We specialize in providing all the essential protections businesses need, including Calgary commercial property insurance, comprehensive and affordable business insurance packages, and much more. Visit us online, or give us a call for further information!
