Disaster planning company gets hit by a disaster

Singapore – Having a sound business continuity plan was what enabled International SOS to carry out their operations with minimal disruptions even after its office was hit by Cyclone Nargis.

When the company's building in Yangon, Myanmar, sustained minor damages in the wake of Cyclone Nargis, International SOS was able to quickly deploy doctors and operational staff to allow the continuity of operations within "a few days".

Tony Ridley, security risk director, Asia Pacific, International SOS, says that the time for response is directly proportional to the planning that was put in place.

"With less planning, the greater the response time will be,” he adds.

As business contingencies do happen, it is crucial for companies to future-proof their business and avoid unnecessary risks to their employees and assets.

Ridley warns, “Those companies that failed to do so could potentially be opened to civil and criminal liabilities in this instance or in the future.”

When an organisation is not well trained in crisis management, the risk exposure to the business is high.

Ridley says, “There could be lawsuits arising out of legal obligations and liabilities when compliance standards are not met, and in the long term, a company’s reputation and image may suffer.”

Some of the steps organisations can take at the company planning level include continued surveillance and monitoring for developing threats, comprehensive assessment of risks and business impact assessments.

To also ensure staff are well prepared for mobilisation, Ridley advises companies to establish crisis management plans. He recommends testing and communicating incident management plans and conducting evacuation plans for various disaster scenarios with simulation training.

Companies, regardless of any size and complexity, should start investing their resources in business continuity planning.

Ridley says, “If you think preparation is expensive, try ignorance. Those that understand and manage their risks (financial, geographic, human, market share, natural) are far more resilient than those that do not.”

He adds, “The news is littered with examples of those that failed, not those that succeeded.”