Business Continuity relies on teamwork and training

Fire is normally one of the greatest threats to any business – nowhere more so than in the Royal Navy. You can’t just shuffle out into the carpark and drive home to call the insurers when you are stuck in the middle of the southern ocean – particularly when you are under enemy attack from ships, missiles, submarines and aircraft.

All RN personel are trained fire-fighters and practice responding to fires and floods EVERY DAY to ensure they are fluent in the drills needed to effectively fight fires.

Whole-ship Emergencies

An engine room fire or helicopter crashing on deck above one of the ships magazines (the kind that holds supersonic missiles rather than glossy publications) quickly becomes a whole-ship emergency requiring several 5 man firefighting teams supported by tens of other boundary coolers, smoke containment sentries and hose handlers, breathing apparatus replenishment teams, first aiders and command and control staff.  Training is extremely realistic and always followed by a “hot debrief” (no pun intended) and a more formal written and verbal debrief to ensure that salient points are identified and lessons learned.

Total Electrical Failures

Another key drill carried out on all ships is known as a TLF which stands for “total electrical failure” whereby all electricity is instaneously lost – this isn’t simulated – they pull the metaphoric plug out!

In the midst of entering harbour or a real or simulated warfighting environment with supersonic missiles raining in, submarines lining up to torpedo you and fast jets bombing and strafing the ship you soon learn the importance of system knowledge and intuitive teamwork to activate fallback operating modes for vital systems and supplies.

How Business Continuity Consultants can help

Business continuity consultants can help you design and carry out realistic training exercises that will protect your business, your people, your capital equipment and premises in the event of fires, floods and mechanical failures.

Where can you find expert advice?

Call Veterus Consulting today on 08456 434 775 to benefit from our extensive, expert experience in planning and conducting these complex and demanding tests of teamwork and leadership.  Learn from the best.

@Veterus

Business Continuity – Check out the latest BBC news on the disruptions to UK business and travel here.

Veterus Business Continuity Consultants have been intimately involved in government level business continuity planning for swine flu (and bird flu) for several years including planning and conducting mass vaccinations and helping large organisations to write, train and exercise their swine flu business continuity plans.

Workplace Vaccination against Swine Flu

We know from the Health Protection Agency’s surveillance that more cases of seasonal flu and influenza-like illnesses are presenting to both GP surgeries and hospital A&E departments and that predictions are for very significant demand on hospital services in the early part of 2010 which means you should expect higher than normal levels of sickness absence and extended periods of illness amongst staff.

With phase 1 of the swine flu vaccination programme well underway in most parts of the UK, Primary Care Trusts and their contracted GPs are beginning to vaccinate patients in the second group identified by the Department for Health as Priority 2.  This group includes schoolchildren under 5 years of age and in most cases parents will wish (or need) to be present when these immunisations take place.  Again this could lead to workplace disruption as parents are forced to juggle their home and work commitments to fit with scheduled appointments.

Whilst the numbers of new cases of swine flu are dropping in USA and UK, elsewhere in the world cases continue to increase and vaccine supply is extremely limited for both local people and visitors.  If you are sending staff abroad you may wish to encourage them to get their vaccination (if eligible) before they travel to minimise the risk of occupationally acquired infections for which you may be liable.

Whilst the virus is in circulation (and it always will be now) there remains the possibility of mutation and mixing with other viruses to create a more harmful but equally transmissable bug which could affect the lungs or any other major organ of the body.

So what should you do as a business owner or employee?

Well the same mitigations apply as before.  Excellent workplace hygiene will limit the spread of any virus and is in any case good business practice – you don’t want to shake hands with someone that just coughed into theirs do you?

As well as good hygiene, make sure your business continuity plans for denial of staff are kept up to date to reflect any changes to business processes at regular intervals – at least annually – an establish horizon scanning mechanisms to alert you of any potential causes of reduction in staff numbers, especially due to disease.  Universities should in particular, maintain high vigilance for outbreaks of meningitis.

Business continuity consultants can provide much needed help in putting together business continuity strategies and plans to prevent and mitigate swine flu and other pandemics.  These plans have high value in keeping your business operating whenever situations arise that result in loss of staff from whatever the cause.

Call Veterus Business Continuity Consultants today on 08456 434 775 for a free consultation.

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For more information on SwineFlu go here.