Preparing for emergencies

Business Continuity: Advice for Businesses and Voluntary Organisations

Keeping your business running

Haringey Council can provide advice to businesses in the borough on business continuity and help you think about the ways you can protect your business so you can withstand disruptions when they occur. Take a look at our business continuity plan templates and the 10 minute assessment to help get you started (see attached files section below).

Things you can do to protect your business?

Keep contact numbers of all staff and suppliers, including mobile numbers wherever possible as well as email address.

Keep a back up of your computer files on another site eg at home, include a copy of any databases and spreadsheets that you use to keep track of customers and accounts.

List your buildings and facilities and make sure you have some form of insurance for them. Keep these insurance details in more than one place.

List all your suppliers along with a list of alternatives if needed.

'Opening' up your business as soon as possible after any problem will help improve your reputation in the community, even if this can only be done via a telephone or website.

More information and guidance can be found by visiting the London Resilience website (external link).

Business Grab Bag for emergencies

Keep a bag packed with the contents below so you are prepared for a sudden emergency:

• Floor plans with utilities marked on
• Business Continuity Plan
• Roll call list
• First aid kit
• Phone card/coins for public phone
• Staff details/next of kin
• Torch
• Wind up radio
• Loud hailer (no whistles)
• High visibility jacket or tabard
• Refreshments e.g. energy bars and bottled water
• Insurance details (contact number, policy number, asset list)
• Call tree details - who will call who within and outside of the business

Things to consider

• Contact 999 even if you think someone else might have already done so, it gives the Emergency Services a clear picture of what is happening
• Are your sprinkler systems secure, make sure no one is able to tamper with them
• Have you set up loose arrangements for controlling an incident? Who will take control? Are people trained in what to do in an emergency?
• Do you need to evacuate or stay in the premises in an emergency? This will depend on whether the threat is inside (a fire) or outside (a flood)
• Sign up to the Haringey Emergency Alert Service

Further information

For further information on the council's emergency planning procedures, please contact:

Haringey Emergency Planning
4th floor
River Park House
225 High Road
Wood Green
London
N22 8HQ

Tel 020 8489 3334
Fax 020 8489 1122
Email emergencyplanning@haringey.gov.uk.

Attached Files

Useful External Links

The following links are not part of the Haringey Council website. Please read our legal disclaimer before using these links

• Business Continuity Institute
• London Resilience (GLA)
• Business Link
• Continuity Central
• Arson advice for businesses