Navigate crises

Enhancing business resilience during weather-driven crises

Extreme weather conditions, such as snow, ice, and potential flooding, can severely disrupt daily activities, putting lives and livelihoods at risk. This scenario highlights the importance of preparedness, resilience, and swift response during such crises.

Critical Event Management (CEM): A business lifeline in weather emergencies

For businesses with a physical presence requiring on-site like security personnel, a CEM platform becomes a cornerstone of operational continuity and staff safety. Here’s how:

1. Proactive incident monitoring and alerts
   • CEM tools can have embedded weather monitoring feeds and alerts to issue preemptive notifications to teams about incoming storms, icy conditions, or potential flooding.
   • On-site staff can be informed of risks well in advance, with clear standard/emergency operating procedures and instructions enabling them to secure vulnerable areas and prepare for potential disruptions.
2. Supporting travelling staff and on-site staff
   • During critical weather events, teams may face challenges such as travel delays, access restrictions, equipment malfunctions, or heightened safety risks.
   • A CEM provides a centralised hub to coordinate activities, welfare checks, offering real-time guidance, backup support, and access to essential resources like evacuation plans or emergency contacts.
3. Real-time communication and collaboration
   • CEM systems facilitate instant communication between dispersed teams with geo-mapping capability. This ensures staff have the latest updates, whether it’s an amber snow warning or localised flooding alerts.
   • This connectivity fosters collaboration between internal teams and data sources from external agencies like the Met Office, Environment Agency, or local authorities.
4. Asset registers to ensure emergency supplies are ready when crisis strikes
   • A critical component of any emergency preparedness plan, especially during short-term crises like severe weather events. This register provides a comprehensive inventory of emergency supplies and equipment available on-site, ensuring that businesses can quickly access the tools needed to support staff and operations.
   • Items such as portable heaters, generators, snow-clearing tools, sandbags, high-visibility clothing, first-aid kits, and backup communication devices should all be documented and regularly updated in the asset register.
   • By maintaining an accurate and detailed record, businesses can ensure that essential resources are readily available during emergencies, minimising downtime and safeguarding both assets and personnel.
5. Data-driven risk mitigation
   • Historical data stored within the CEM help businesses identify high-risk areas, enabling the development of tailored contingency plans based on previous data and lessons learnt.
   • For example, areas prone to heavy snow or flooding can be prioritised for mitigating actions or response or staff deployment requirements.
6. Post-incident recovery and reporting
   • After a critical weather event, CEM tools are used to assess the impact, document incidents, and coordinate recovery efforts. This ensures a swift return to normalcy while capturing lessons learned for future preparedness.

Real-world implications: Storm Bert and beyond

As Storm Bert approaches, bringing high winds, freezing temperatures, and heavy rainfall, businesses across the UK must prepare for potential disruptions with the critical need to maintain operations, safeguard assets, and protect employees.
Read more on BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyg7q6wnwxo

A CEM empowers businesses to operate safely and effectively, ensuring the protection of both physical assets and human lives.

• Ensure premises are secure against flooding, and communicate adjusted opening hours or closures to customers.
• Safeguard supply chains by rerouting deliveries or stocking critical materials in advance.
• Proactively check on vulnerable staff and maintain emergency supplies for cold weather health risks.
• Constant welfare communication with on-site security personnel – the challenges are compounded by the need to remain present during dangerous conditions.

Stay ahead of the storm: Protect your business and team today

Severe weather events underscore the necessity of proactive planning and advanced response systems. By implementing a Critical Event Management platform, businesses can navigate crises with greater agility and resilience, ensuring continuity and safety of operations, providing peace of mind in even the most challenging conditions.

• Critical events/incidents
• Dashboards & analysis
• Infrastructure