If you run a business in an area prone to flooding, your responsibilities go much further than simply checking the tide times and keeping a supply of sandbags in the store room. You also have a responsibility to ensure your employees stay safe, and that you do all you can to minimise the risk to both your property and your business itself.
All businesses are required to have health and safety strategies and emergency plans and they should also have flood plans in place. These are documents which comprehensively detail how those involved with your business will react to a flood.
Flood plan guidance
Your flood plan should include a written lists of what you will do from the moment you check the EA flood alerts, tide times and weather forecast and realise that a flood is likely. This sort of planning and thought should make it easier for you to take the best course of action in an emergency and ensure that you can communicate what needs to happen to any staff members. You should also make them aware of procedures before there is even the threat of a flood.
You should ensure that all members of staff are aware of the existence of the flood plan and what it contains. This means that they will be aware of what safety measures need to be taken in the event of a flood, and what items are most important to move if time and conditions allow.
Keep it close
Once prepared, your flood plan should not just be put in a drawer and forgotten about. You should ensure that both yourself and your team regularly refresh what it contains and make sure that it is kept up-to-date. Staff should also keep a list of the people they may need to contact if flooding did occur at home.
