Hazards

The business community has an obligation to prepare for a variety of different hazards, and for the potential for loss of life and damage to property that these hazards represent.

This is especially true for buildings and facilities that represent an important resource before and after a disaster.

Hazard assessment

Hazard Assessment checklists enable you to identify particular threats and vulnerabilities and develop an action plan of action to remedy any faults you discover.
 

Hazard identification & analysis

Consider:

• What external hazards pose a risk?

• Does the facility have internal hazards?      

• What can be done to reduce those hazards?

Preparation, response and recovery planning

Consider:

• What has been done to prepare for an event?

• Can more be done to make the facilities safer?

• How well equipped is the business to continue through to long-term recovery?

Threats

Threats to the business may be natural or man-made and may arise from an accidental or malicious origin.

For example:

• Natural such as a flood or earthquake causing damage to buildings and equipment.

• Man-made An employee fails to carry out the back-up procedure for the computer system. A disk failure causes an irretrievable loss of data.

• Accident  A digger severs the mains power supply into the site.

• Deliberate  An intruder sets fire to a store and destroys the inventory.

Vulnerability

The business may be more vulnerable to certain threats than to others.

For example:

• Poor security  There is no perimeter fence to stop unauthorised persons entering the site.

• Location  The business is located on a site that is prone to flooding.

• Environment  High winds may blow roofing materials from the buildings.

• Poor controls  Inadequate management systems provide an opportunity for theft or fraud.

• Poor process & systems design  Processes are inefficient and systems are prone to breakdown because of inadequate specification and design.

• Poor management  Management fails to enforce policies and procedures.

It is not always possible to eliminate these vulnerabilities because of cost but a sensible balance between cost and effectiveness needs to be found.

Achieving a low level of interruptions or damaging events  to your business will help encourage  your staff, as well as present and potential customers, to place their trust in your company.