Disaster Recovery Plan & Risk management- Water deluge

Here's a breakdown of preventive measures, mitigation strategies, and how they integrate into a risk framework for the scenarios you've outlined.

Scenario-Specific Preventive Measures

a. Water logging on roads, cannot reach office

Flexible work-from-home policies: Establish these in advance so employees have the infrastructure and protocols to work remotely if physically commuting is impossible.

Alternative transportation methods: Partner with ride-share companies or have plans for alternate transport (boats, shuttles, designated pickup routes) if severe enough.

Temporary satellite offices: If feasible, designate secure locations away from flood-prone areas as emergency workspaces.

b. Trains/buses not working

Partnership with private transportation providers: Negotiate contracts for emergency transport of staff if public systems fail.

Flexible hours & staggered shifts: Allow employees to arrive outside of peak times in case public transit is limited but not entirely down.

Carpooling systems: Incentivize employees who live near each other to carpool during crises.

c. Building system failures (sewage, AC, lifts, power, internet)

Redundant systems: Where critical, back up essential systems with generators, pumps, alternative internet connections (i.e., satellite as a backup).

Regular maintenance and stress testing: Prevent failures proactively, and test backup systems periodically.

Contracts with emergency service providers: Have plumbers, electricians, etc. on-call with pre-negotiated rates.

Critical data off-site: Essential data should have cloud-based backups and not rely solely on in-office servers.

d. Key employee injury or fatality

Succession planning: Every key role should have identified backups with regular cross-training.

Knowledge Redundancy: Document decision-making and processes done by key individuals, so it's not knowledge locked to just one person.

Adequate insurance: Cover potential losses related to key employee absence, both short and long-term.

Overall Mitigation Strategies

Business Continuity Plan (BCP): Have a detailed, written plan that covers the above scenarios. Communicate it to all employees & update it regularly.

Emergency communication: Establish communication protocols when normal systems fail (satellite phones, designated meeting points, out-of-office contact chains).

Insurance: Tailored to cover losses from specific disruptions - consider business interruption insurance in addition to standard property.

Drills & Simulations: Practice makes (almost) perfect. Conduct drills for different scenarios to refine your responses.

Integration into a Risk Framework

A risk framework helps you prioritize these measures. Here's how the preventive actions tie in:

Risk Identification:

Outline all possible disasters, both natural and man-made, specific to your location and industry.

Include the scenarios you mentioned and more.

Risk Assessment:

Likelihood: Rate each disaster's probability based on historical data and expert input.

Impact: Evaluate the potential damage to people, operations, finances, and reputation.

Risk Prioritization:

**Focus on high likelihood, high impact risks. These warrant the most investment in prevention and mitigation.

Risk Treatment:

This is where the preventive measures come in. Choose the most cost-effective ways to:

Prevent (e.g., building flood barriers)

Mitigate: (e.g., work-from-home policies)

Transfer: (e.g., appropriate insurance coverage)

Accept: Acknowledge certain low-risk scenarios have manageable consequences.

Monitoring & Review:

Your risk framework isn't static. Regularly review and adjust as circumstances or your business changes.

Above is for education purpose only.