Business Continuity Planning and Emergency Management Checklist
This checklist gives you some a range of factors to consider in planning for an emergency, including ensuring that the specific needs of the organisation, staff, management and consumers are listened to and incorporated into planning.Evacuation preparation:
- Evacuation plan clearly displayed
- Evacuation plans and emergency procedures meet requirements set by OHS legislation and associated regulations
- Evacuations are practiced at least annually and then reviewed
- Staff with specific roles have been trained
- Instructions for specific emergencies placed appropriately - such as information on what to do if you receive a bomb threat displayed near telephones
- Cross training of staff
- Sufficient supplies to manage a resource shortage - food and beverages appropriate equipment is already purchased eg hoses, torches, FM Radio and batteries.
- Resource/"Grab and Go" bag is ready and maintained - contains essential gear that can be grabbed swiftly if evacuated.
- Evacuation plan that provides a method to determine if everyone (including visitors) has been evacuated
- Evacuation plan with appropriate contact details and people to advise
- Evacuation plan that provides an alternative worksite if necessary
- Plans for how to communicate with media
- Alternative supply of items if building is lost - including IT, stationary
- Electronic backup of important databases and ability to restore backup if building is lost
- Backup of frequently used documents, such as forms
- Protection of paper-only records and documents
- Copies of all essential documentation, such as insurance, property details, contact details, banking details, vehicle details, plans and policies are stored off site
- Insurance / equipment register is kept up to date
- List of essential hardware and software required to resume operations
- Backups are tested and processes reviewed
- Evacuation plan with appropriate contact details and people to advise
- Emergency contact information for all staff and board members
- Next of kin contact information
- Emergency contact information for consumers / methods to communicate with consumers in an appropriate and timely way
- Alternative e-mail addresses for all staff and board members if the e-mail server is lost
- Contact information for organisations you have arrangements with - Funding bodies, other organisations, small businesses, community groups etc
- Details of Vendors / Suppliers in your area
- Details of Vendors / Suppliers in an alternate location
- Plans for how to deliver services if building is lost
- Plans for how to communicate with media
- Ability to write cheques and to process payroll if building is lost
- Cheque writing authority is sufficiently broad
- What other people, supplies or resources are required to resume operations?
- What database, word processing, e-mail, accounts or other software does your organisation rely on?
- How frequently are files and documents backed up?
- What is backed up and where is it stored?
- How do you access backups and who has this authority?
- How long will it take to retrieve and restore backups?
- Who will restore your backups?
- What are your most important hardcopy records?
- Where are they stored?
- Are there copies and where / how are they stored? Eg Hardcopy off-site, electronically on-site, electronically in Sydney, hardcopy across the street.
- How long will it take to access them?
Back to Risk: Managing Emergencies
