No matter how much preparation you do as a business owner you can never be sure when an emergency is going to strike next.

What you can do is to take all the appropriate steps to limit the damage that said emergency does and ensure that your people and other valuable assets are protected effectively.

In this article we will look at the best ways to prepare for emergencies as a business, ensuring that you are as safe as possible when the time comes.

Consult with a professional security firm

Without talking to an experienced and professional security company, there is only so much you can do to prepare for an emergency. Prime Security experts deal with companies such as yours every single day, and know exactly what sort of threats you are likely to deal with. They are also experienced in implementing security measures that will reduce risk and keep your property safe so failing to at least have a chat with someone over the phone is foolhardy to say the least.

This doesn’t mean you have to hire security guards from them on a full-time basis, we know that many smaller-sized companies simply cant afford to do that anyway, but having them carry out a risk assessment of your site, or even simply consult with you over the phone will put you in a much stronger and safer position going forward.

Carry out a risk assessment

The most important step in preventing emergencies causing serious harm is to prepare properly for them. This is only possible if you have identified what threats you are likely to face. A thorough risk assessment should be carried out to do just this, looking at a number of different factors including the location of the site and what threats are common in the area, the impact of certain emergencies on employees and customers, and historical data on the property.

Delegate roles

You should put certain staff members that you trust in key positions of responsibility in case of emergency. This isn’t to say that your own staff can replace professional security, but having a first aid trained member of your team and someone who is in charge of evacuation coordination is essential. This will help prevent confusion in the event of an emergency.

Purchase the right equipment

There are certain pieces of emergency equipment that all business sites must have. Some, such as fire detectors, are a legal requirement, whilst others are simply good practice. These include fire extinguishers, first aid kits, CCTV, alarm systems, and back up power supplies. Our staff should be fully educated on where this equipment is located and how to use it.

Documentation

Documenting any emergency that does happen to occur will help you learn from any mistakes that were made and ensure the same ones are never allowed to happen again.

This information should be reviewed regularly and form the foundation of future emergency strategies that you create.