Safety.BLR.com Poll Finds Only 28 Percent of Safety Professionals Ready for a Natural Disaster - Even After Katrina
The nations companies do not appear to have learned much, even after witnessing all of the devastation seen from Hurricane Katrina. In a recent poll of safety professionals at Safety.BLR.com, a majority feels that that their emergency planning is not up to snuff.
Old Saybrook, CT (PRWEB) September 20, 2005 --- In the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the devastation wrought in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region, a majority of health and safety professionals say that their current emergency planning leaves them unprepared for a natural disaster, according to an online poll conducted by Safety.BLR.com.
Emergency Planning
Fifty-four percent of respondents said no" when posed the question Are you prepared for a natural disaster?" Another 18 percent were unsure of their preparedness, leaving only 28 percent responding that their emergency planning was up to snuff. The poll was conducted September 6 to September 13 and had 307 participants.
After the devastating tsunamis in Asia and the complete destruction caused by Katrina, every business has had a chance to realize that a firms survival is tied to the quality of its emergency response plan," said Steve Quilliam, managing editor of Safety.BLR.com, a website from Business & Legal Reports, Inc. (BLR). "Considering that such planning is also required under multiple environmental and OSHA regulations, these results are disappointing."
Safety.BLR.coms team of compliance editors recommends that at a minimum, facilities take the following steps:
· Identify emergency power requirements to maintain essential operations. Test all generators monthly.
· Determine computer support for employees who need to remain operational during a natural disaster.
· Plan for methods of emergency communications with suppliers, customers, and employees if there is an evacuation or extended power outage. Keep contact lists accessible.
· Determine and obtain emergency supplies.
· Survey your facility and list all emergency preparations, along with an implementation plan.
· Ensure that your facility is in compliance with any regulatory requirements (e.g., RCRA releases or OSHA regulations).
· Determine how emergency information and records can be maintained and accessed remotely.
Copies of all OSHA emergency response regulations as well as detailed compliance information are available at Safety.BLR.com. To help in the development of a disaster response plan, BLR is providing a free copy of its feature article Emergencies: Readiness Makes a Difference" at the following link: http://www.blr.com/81001600/PRS46
About BLR
Old Saybrook, Conn.-based BLR produces plain-English compliance and training resources for environmental, safety, HR, and compensation managers. For more information, call 800-727-5257 or visit www.BLR.com.
Contact: Steve Quilliam
860-510-0100, ext. 2148
###
Bookmark -
Del.icio.us |
Furl It |
Technorati |
Ask |
MyWeb |
Propeller |
Live Bookmarks |
Newsvine |
TailRank |
Reddit |
Slashdot |
Digg |
Stumbleupon |
Google Bookmarks |
Sphere |
Blink It |
Spurl
|
