3:40pm Sunday 21st March 2010
By Mike Pryce
FOLLOWING the disruption caused by the unprecedented severe weather this winter, Worcestershire County Council is offering advice on planning for emergencies.
This forms part of Business Continuity Week which runs until Sunday, March 28.
Nick Riding, the council’s emergency planning manager, said: “Ensuring business can continue following an emergency, whether it be fire, flooding, swine flu or computer viruses, can mean the difference between a company surviving or going under. Business continuity plans can go into as much detail as required, however, they do not need to involve great expense or lots of time.”
Mr Riding said there are four basic areas that can be looked at to keep the business going. One of those is IT and a business should look at wheher key information such as customer lists, payroll and other technical information is backed up at another location. Chiefs should also identify how many members of staff are needed to keep the business going, who they are, and whether they can work from alternative locations.
A business should also see how easy it is to find temporary accommodation in an emergency and check with their suppliers that they also have plans in place.
Mr Riding said: “There are a few inexpensive steps businesses can take which are easy to implement and could save a great deal of expense if the worst were to happen, as well as helping to reduce insurance costs. Small businesses are often the worst hit in emergency situations and, with many larger companies and public sector bodies requiring suppliers to have business continuity plans, we are advising firms across Worcestershire to do what they can to plan for emergencies.”
For more details on planning for business continuity, visit worcestershire.gov.uk/ emergencyplanning.
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