4 Phases of Emergency Management. Phase 4: Recovery

Emergency preparedness does not stop after an emergency ends. Long-term impacts can include repair and replacement challenges, long delays in the restoration of power or water and even permanent contamination, damage or mold. Prioritizing your plan to restore core production and reduce hazardous risks is the best step you can take to reduce the overall impact of a disaster.

Review the below business recovery checklist to ensure your plan looks ahead to account for the long-term impacts of an emergency, prioritizes repairs and includes a process for making updates as risks change.

Repair and Replacement

• Are repairs and replacements prioritized based on criticality and impact?
• Are supply lines for critical replacements identified before emergencies?
• Is the most sensitive equipment (with the longest repair or replacement time) identified?
• Is all unsafe equipment replaced and inspected before returning to service?
• Are systems to better detect or prevent emergencies taken into account when facilitating repairs?

Long-Term Impacts

• Are the long-term impacts of certain disasters, like spills and gas leaks, known and documented?
• Have inspectors profiled the specific long-term risks from the emergency, including pollution, mold and decay?
• Have all sites potentially impacted by the disaster undergone intensive inspection before resuming activity?
• Are the procedures for disposing of unsafe or contaminated materials identified in advance, along with designated disposal sites?
• Do you have backup plans in place in the event of long-term downtime to critical equipment and facilities?

Updating the Plan

• Is there a process for updating your emergency preparedness plan after an emergency?
• Are gaps in the plan, major changes or regular updates quickly addressed in the plan after an emergency?
• Is your plan regularly updated to prepare for new types of emergencies your facility could face as risks change?
• Can your plan adapt to major long-term impacts of an emergency, including reduced capacity or relocation?
• Are all sections of the plan regularly refreshed to address new risks, new training or new personnel?

Please note this list is not comprehensive of all of the steps you may need to take to recover from emergencies, but each question can and should be answered as part of your plan.