Winter Weather Preparedness

We've already seen winter weather hit some parts of the country, and things are bound to get snowier and icier before we see the end of it. Have you prepared a plan for the continuity of your business operations during winter storms... and also in the aftermath? If not, don't wait until the blizzard hits to think about this important topic. Use this week's articles to focus your efforts on making it through with the least impact.

This article looks at some things to consider when your office building is forced to close down due to the weather conditions. (Item #1)     Advance preparation can help to mitigate winter weather impacts on your operations and business continuity. (Item #2)     Ultimately, building a culture of preparedness within the public arena and getting them to accept that prediction is not possible to the extent of 100 percent accuracy can be the intangible asset that reduces public angst regarding things that did not happen as predicted. (Item #3)    

The key to reducing the risks of a large-scale work disruption caused by a winter storm is business continuity planning in order to minimize downtime caused by extreme weather. (Item #4)     Should you make your employees come to work in bad weather? (Item #5)     Measuring the economic effects of snow is more an art than science. (Item #6)    

As always, I look forward to hearing about your concerns with regard to business continuity. If there are any topics that you'd like to see covered, email me at [email protected].

Bob Mellinger, President
Attainium Corp

1. Winter is in full swing! Business Continuity Planning for Inclement Weather Part Two

Now that some of the United States is digging out from beneath several inches (or in some cases, feet!) of snow, this is a great time to revisit your firm's inclement weather business continuity plans. Even if your building is not forced to close during a storm, there are still a number of important challenges to consider. In this article, we will examine a few things to think about when preparing you firm for this scenario.
http://www.eci.com/blog/88-winter-is-in-full-swing-business-continuity-planning-for-inclement-weather-part-two.html

2. Winter Weather Precautions

The gusting winds, heavy snow, and freezing temperatures associated with winter are normal and often anticipated occurrences throughout most of the world's cold weather climates. However, not only cold weather locales are vulnerable to extreme winter weather losses. In fact, moderate climate regions not normally associated with harsh winter weather tend to suffer the most costly losses as they are typically unprepared to endure such conditions. Winter weather events mixed with a lack of preparation can lead to building damage, freeze-up, flood, and business interruption losses. Advance preparation can help to mitigate winter weather impacts on your operations and business continuity.
http://usa.marsh.com/Portals/9/Documents
/4420%20MA5110534%20Winter%20Weather%20Precautions%20RB.pdf

3. Public apathy in the path of preparedness

Responses to winter storm Juno seem to show that you cannot please the public when it comes to preparedness. In this article Geary Sikich asks whether business continuity and emergency planners are missing something when it comes to communicating preparedness with the public.
http://www.continuitycentral.com/index.php/news/resilience-news/90-public-apathy-in-the-path-of-preparedness

4. The Winter of 2015: Three Considerations to Maintain Business Continuity in Extreme Weather Conditions

In many regions of North America, The Winter of 2015 with record breaking snowfalls has been historic, and it's not over yet. Companies can be impacted in a variety of ways by extreme winter storms, and effective business continuity involves planning for disruptive weather-related events and having outside resources in place should they be needed.
http://www.madicorp.com/blog/business-continuity-and-crisis-response/the-winter-of-2015-three-considerations-to-maintain-business-continuity-in-extreme-weather-conditions/

5. Winter Snow Storms: Should You Make Your Employees Come to Work?

Of course, there are some careers in which "snow days" aren't even a possibility. Hospitals, for instance, can't exactly say "have that heart attack or baby another day." But, for many jobs, an occasional snow day won't be the end of the world and may even result in a better running department in the future.
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/winter-snow-storms-should-you-make-your-employees-come-to-work/

6. The Five Biggest Problems with Disaster Recovery Plans

But in an era when so much business can be done over the phone and online, these estimates leave some scratching their heads. Could a simple snowstorm really cost the U.S. upwards of $1 billion, as some economists predicted of January's blizzard that shut down New York City? The short answer: yes, it can.
http://fortune.com/2015/02/12/the-cost-of-winter-storms-should-we-believe-economists/