Do you have a flood policy in place?

Published on 1st February 2008

Preparing for disaster

Several flood warnings have been in place since the start of the new year, and the Environment Agency has been issuing guidance for businesses on how to prepare for the worst. According to the Environment Agency (EA) ‘Flood Preparation Guide for Business’:

Floods are one of the most common and widespread of all disasters and are growing in frequency and severity due to the impact of global warming. Businesses are more likely to be flooded than burned down, resulting in devastating financial loss, yet fire safety is often considered more important.

The EA has indicated the need for businesses to prepare a flood plan, as extreme weather events will most likely be occurring more frequently. The challenge to businesses now is to develop defense strategies that will be sufficient to cope with flooding, and reduce flood risk the risk to people and property.

Preparing a flood plan may seem overwhelming at times of crisis, but needn't be so. As with many crisis scenarios, sufficient planning is the key to successful management. And it falls to the HR team to discuss various aspects of the threat to your company: possible flooding scenarios, how your business would react, and steps you need to take to protect the property and ensure the safety of your employees.

The Environment Agency has issued a checklist of questions managers should ask themselves in relation to flooding, including the following questions:

Do you know if you're at risk of flooding?

Do you know how to shut off your gas/electric/water supplies?
Are your stock, fittings and valuable equipment stored above flood level?
Are you aware of correct flood safety procedures for you and your staff?
Have you trained your staff on flood safety procedures?
Can your staff work quickly and efficiently to protect your business in the event of a flood?
Have you installed flood protection products?
Have you installed non-return valves in your toilets and drains?
Do you and your staff have high ground where you can park your cars?

For more information on these and other questions to help you prepare a flood policy, we recommend you visit the environment agency website.

Ceridian's HR consultancy service can help ensure that your company is compliant with environmental regulations, helping you improve your environmental performance and safeguard your employees. Contact us today on 0800 0482 737.