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Natural disasters are the top safety concern among office employees, yet the majority of businesses (60 percent) said recent disasters, including Hurricane Sandy, haven’t led them to reassess their safety plans, according to Staples second annual workplace safety survey. Survey results on business risks and emergencies were issued to bring awareness to National Safety Month in June.
The Staples survey discovered significant discrepancies between safety perception and actual preparedness. Only half of employees said their company communicates a safety plan – a basic tenet of safety preparation – but, three out of four believe their businesses take safety seriously. In emergency situations, nearly 25 percent of employees report their companies only communicate what to expect “at the last minute.”
Furthermore, according survey results, small businesses appear to be more at risk for safety concerns than medium-sized businesses. Specifically:
- Less than half of small businesses said they are prepared for severe emergencies or that safety plans are communicated regularly.
- Thirty-eight percent said their small business does not have safety training or drills.
- Medium-sized businesses were more likely to have plans in place for emergencies such as evacuation (90 percent), shelter in place (46 percent) and building lockdown (56 percent).
- Medium-sized businesses reported a wider array of safety equipment on-site.
Recent #SmallBizChat guest Brian Moran of Brian Moran and Associates added, “Even with recent disasters, both natural and man-made, almost half of all small businesses don’t have a formal disaster plan in place. When disaster strikes, many of the companies without any proper planning will go out of business.” Here’s what you need to do to prepare if a disaster hits your small business:
Backup all of your important files and information to the cloud. It does no good if you copy everything to an external hard drive and then leave it in your office when a tornado or hurricane hits.
Have a plan to work remotely – if you’re out of your office for an extended period of time. This includes you and all of your key employees.
Stock up on emergency items. In addition to an emergency evacuation plan, business should have enough food, water, flashlights and blankets to help sustain employees for up to three days. Items like masks and crank-powered radios can further help businesses be ready for any emergency.
For more information on preparing for disaster for your business, visit www.ready.gov. To learn more about how Staples can help medium-sized businesses with safety preparation and products, visit www.staplesadvantage.com/facility-solutions.
Do you have any suggestions to add to this list?
Running On Electricity courtesy of Jennifer Ellison / www.freedigitalphotos.net
Disclosure: Staples compensated me to write this post as a small business expert. The ideas in this blog post are mine and not ideas or advice from Staples.
About the Survey
Staples conducted an online survey of more than 400 office workers and 400 decision makers at organizations of all sizes across the U.S. The survey, conducted in May 2013, asked a series of questions about general office safety.
About Staples
Staples is the world’s largest office products company and second largest internet retailer. For 26 years, Staples has served the needs of business customers and its vision is to provide every product businesses need to succeed. Through its world-class retail, online and delivery capabilities, Staples offers office supplies, technology products and services, facilities and breakroom supplies, furniture, copy and print services and a wide range of other product categories. With thousands of associates worldwide dedicated to making it easy for businesses of all sizes, Staples operates throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. The company is headquartered outside Boston. More information about Staples (Nasdaq: SPLS) is available at www.staples.com.
Business continuity is a buzz word being used all over and disaster recovery/avoidance measures can help you make sure your company makes it through the storm. Cloud based services are an easy way to ensure your data and communications. During Hurricane Sandy we had lots of customers without power, without physical phones lines and come without offices, yet their phones, servers and software are remained online. That meant they could stay in touch with employees and customers to keep their business going. Must have in today’s world!