Tips for a Safer Work Environment

Nearly all small and mid-size businesses have taken at least some steps to protect themselves against an emergency, according to a national survey conducted by The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc.

The survey revealed that 97 percent of small and midsize businesses have at least one plan in place – if not more – to protect themselves against some type of emergency. The survey, consisting of interviews with 225 businesses with three to 500 employees, asked businesses if they had procedures in place to guard against national disasters, workplace violence, terrorism, unauthorized entry, handling suspicious mail or packages and other emergencies.

“Emergency preparedness plans benefit both the business and its employees,” explains John Kauffman, director, Loss Control Training, The Hartford. “They help secure employees’ safety and protect the business’ assets, and they can also help a business stay in operation during an emergency or quickly recover. That often can mean the difference between staying in or going out of business.”

The nationally representative survey found that, on average, businesses have four different types of plans in place to protect themselves against emergencies. The most common emergency prevention procedure used by businesses (84 percent) is backing up data and records, usually by copying it on to discs or tapes. A smaller number of businesses e-mail files to another location and some also print out paper copies.

Significantly fewer – 61 percent – have procedures for reporting acts of workplace violence, 53 percent have taken measures to prevent unauthorized entry into buildings, and 44 percent have plans protecting their operations and employees in the event of natural disasters.

Slightly more than a quarter of all midsize and small businesses have steps in place for handling suspicious mail or packages; the same number (26 percent) conduct periodic emergency evacuation drills; and 24 percent have crisis management teams to interact with employees during emergencies. Interestingly, only 24 percent say they have procedures to follow in the event of terrorism.

Kaufmann advises business owners take the following steps to protect their businesses and develop emergency preparedness plans:

Plan in Advance

For Unauthorized Entry

To Minimize Violence

The survey was conducted by Market Decisions Corp., Portland, Ore., on behalf of The Hartford. It has a +/- 5-percent margin of error.