Emergency management planning however is more than just planning for disasters. It is actually an approach to business operations. A business should know its strengths and weaknesses and put strategies in place to adapt to any likely scenario.

Emergency management planning focuses upon prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. This enables a business to clearly identify risks and hazards, which informs the development and implementation of appropriate and tested procedures. This in turn minimises the disruption to business caused by an emergency or disaster situation and also minimises the impact of these events on staff, customers and property.

There are a variety of templates and guides available for download to assist with the development of an emergency plan (see Resources). Whilst there may be variations in layout and terminology of these guides, there are five (5) key sections commonly addressed by all Emergency Plans. These include:

• Introduction
• Risk assessment
• Emergency preparedness
• Response during and after an emergency
• Recovery

The following information provides a general guide to the development of each section of the emergency plan.

Introduction

The first pages of an emergency plan should include the document revision history, the document distribution and communication strategy, and, outline any related documents. The introduction should also define the purpose of the plan and include a summary of the business’ emergency preparedness.

Risk assessment

This section requires the identification of the types of hazards and risks, and the probable degree of risk and exposure, posed to your business.

• Risk Assessment Checklist

Emergency preparedness

This is likely to be the largest section of the Emergency Plan. The section defines the business’ continuity and preparedness strategies. The focus of these strategies would be risk reduction or elimination and would include the business continuity plan and the emergency action plan.

• Business Continuity Checklist
• Emergency Action Plan Checklist

Response

This section would address the response required both during and after an emergency. As a guide, response during an emergency would include building evacuation processes, medical supports and the roles and responsibilities of the business’ emergency team. Immediately after an emergency, response would include life saving actions, damage assessment, notification and utilities.

• Emergency Response Checklist

Recovery

To maximize the business’ ability to recover from an emergency, the plan would generally address: the implementation of business continuity plans, damage and business impact assessments, communication, marketing assessment and strategies, financial impact assessment and business restoration requirements.

• Recovery Checklist

You need to make your business more resilient by planning and preparing to minimise the possibility of damage, interruption and loss of business if and when a disaster strikes. The following resources have been provided from the Queensland Government's business.qld.gov.au website.

Identifying Disaster-Related Risks

• Identifying business risk
  
• The PPRR risk management model

Preparing for Disasters - Get Ready!

• Business continuity planning
  
• Preparing your business for natural disasters
  • Cyclone and storm surge preparation checklist
  • Severe storm preparation checklist
  • Flooding checklist
  • Bushfire preparation checklist
  • Preparing an emergency kit
  • Evacuating your business
  • Emergency contact information
• Assessing your small business after a cyclone or flood
• Rebuilding your small business after a cyclone or flood
• Preparing a risk management plan and business impact analysis
• Preparing an incident response plan
• Developing a recovery plan
• Business insurance

Assistance and Recovery

• Helping rural communities recover from Cyclone Yasi
• How your business can help with disaster recovery
• Cyclone and flood assistance for small businesses
• Cyclone and flood assistance for primary producers

Further information regarding emergency management planning or templates to develop your emergency plan, can be obtained from the following websites:

• Business.gov.au
• Queensland Government - Business Development
• Queensland Government - Disaster Management
• Emergency Management Australia
• Risk Management