Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Ready for Winter Weather

It’s important that your business, as well as your home and family, be prepared well in advance for the wide variety of dangerous conditions that winter storms and extreme weather can bring. This week’s articles focus on safety issues you, your employees and their families can put to use. Be safe!

Check out this winter hazards checklist. (Item #1) Do you know how to prepare for a winter storm before it hits? (Item #2) A worker safety consulting firm explains how companies can avoid being paralyzed by relentless winter storms. (Item #3)

We hope you never need this information, but here’s all you need to know about surviving a blizzard. (Item #4) Risks of winter weather are particularly bad for workers who have to be outside in all kinds of conditions. Items #5 and #6 provide safety tips for outdoor workers.

Read it all at http://www.attainium.net/newsbriefs

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Testing and Exercising

Disaster recovery plans are essential to business continuity, but these plans will lose value if they are not tested on a regular basis. Frequent testing leads to peace of mind. You can't wait until disaster strikes to find out if your plan will work. Testing is essential for disaster recovery success, and, a proactive test plan will reap benefits to the organization. Read this week’s articles for more on the importance of testing your business continuity/disaster recovery plans.

When your plan is complete, the work has only just begun. (Item #1) Effective plan testing is the topic of this article on best practices. (Item #2) What flaws could your test have missed? (Item #3)

Internal communication is a critical part of every plan and should be tested as well. (Item #4) Healthcare organizations have special concerns when testing plans. (Item #5) San Diego County’s Health and Human Services Agency had a real event during which to test their plan. (Item #6)

The full issue is available at http://www.attainium.net/newsbriefs

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Careers for the Next Decade - Nightly Business Report

I had the pleasure of being featured in a segment of the Nightly Business Report on the November 26th. The story was entitled "Careers for the Next Decade." The segment that I was featured in was on Emergency Planning Managers. This is an acknowledgment of the important work we Emergency, Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Planners perform. If you are already a part of this industry, congratulations. If you are considering it as a career, what are you waiting for?

The video of the segment is available at - http://www.pbs.org/nbr/info/local-player.html?s=nbre07s35e3qcd0

H1N1 Pandemic

According to the World Health Organization, more than 207 countries and overseas territories or communities have reported laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009, including more than 7820 deaths. In the United States and Canada, influenza transmission remains very active and geographically widespread. It’s difficult to say what the winter will bring, particularly since seasonal flu outbreaks have yet to begin. To be best prepared, you should take heed of the advice in the following articles.

Small businesses need to have flexible plans to respond to flu outbreaks. (Item #1) This kit can help you follow the CDC’s guidance for businesses for the 2009-2010 season. (Item #2) A continuity expert offers her thoughts on the flu pandemic. (Item #3)

A pandemic flu checklist from the state of Arizona can be helpful to all organizations. (Item #4) Another checklist from the Red Cross is in poster form, handy for posting. (Item #5) The emergence of flu in the 1918 pandemic may be helping weaken the impact of today’s H1N1 flu. (Item #6)

Read the full issue at http://www.attainium.net/newsbriefs