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You are here: Home Winter 2008 - Volume 21, Issue 1 Prepare Now For Winter’s Harsh Storms

Prepare Now For Winter’s Harsh Storms

Written by  Thursday, 03 January 2008 17:14
Winter has officially arrived, bringing with it all the risks associated with cold weather, snow and ice. As those of us who live in cold-weather areas know, winter storms can wreak havoc on businesses.

Our office is based in St. Louis, so we have had our share of storms over the years. In mid-December a massive winter storm hit across the Midwest and later moved into the northeast. It caused widespread power outages, travel problems and many business closures. Although our immediate area was not affected too much, there were many across the state of Missouri and nation that were.

Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Oklahoma were also hard hit with ice and power outages. The storm caused the worst power outage ever in Oklahoma, leaving nearly 600,000 without power. Many businesses were without electricity for days.

You can read a more detailed account on the storm in the Around the World column on page98 of this issue. But, I want to take some time in this column to mention a few items that should be of interest to business continuity planners.

For one, I want to encourage everyone to review their organization’s plan for power outages. It may seem like common sense, but I was surprised by how many businesses were caught unprepared when the lights went out.

For example, I know of a person who works for a major corporation. The power to the building was out, so employees were not to report to work. They were told to call a special phone line for a recorded message with details on when work would resume.

However, when the employee tried to call he found that the phone line was not in operation. No one had backed up the power supply to the phone system. Hundreds of employees at the corporation were left wondering if the power was on and if they should report for work each day. Eventually, a makeshift calling chain was devised, but it was a poor replacement for preparations that should have been made before the disaster occurred.

In another instance, a business that did have power was unable to remain open because they did not have backups in place for key personnel. The employees were able to get to the work site, but key managers were not. Since no one had been trained as an assistant or backup person, the place stayed closed.

There were also problems with businesses being unable to receive deliveries because their supplier were without power or without personnel.

So be sure to double-check your plans. You can find a lot more cold-weather preparation tips on our newly-renovated Web site, www.drj.com.

You can also find information on our annual conferences, Fall World and Spring World. The next show is scheduled for March 30 through April 2, 2008 in Orlando, Florida. We will be at the beautiful Disney Coronado Springs Resort. Attendees can enjoy the warm weather while gaining a wealth of information from the sessions, workshops and classes that we will have.

We have a lot of exciting speakers slated, as well as other events such as our Mock Exercise, several receptions and hospitalities, an exhibition hall and more. If you want to find out more information on Spring World 2008, check the website. You can download a full conference brochure. Registration online is also possible. Some of our early registration discounts will be expiring, so sign up soon. We already have 650 people registered.

I hope to see you in sunny, warm Orlando!



"Appeared in DRJ's Winter 2008 Issue"
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