Direction and Control
Mission Statement
[Insert your organisation’s mission statement]
Business Continuity Policy
The purpose of the business continuity plan is to maintain business functions in the event of an emergency. The policy applies to
[organisation name], its subsidiaries, all locations and all employees and volunteers.
In the event of an emergency, the Emergency Management Group will be responsible for declaring emergencies, evacuating or
shutting down facilities as necessary and contacting employees. The Emergency Management Group will be led by the
Commander.
The Emergency Management Group has the authority to identify critical business functions impacted by the emergency and
initiate the process for recovering each function in the order laid out in the Business Continuity Plan.
The Business Continuity Plan is enacted with the purpose of ensuring continued business activity in the event of an emergency
and ensuring the safety of all employees, volunteers and service-users. Failure to comply with the Business Continuity Plan or
any directives issued by the Emergency Management Group may result in disciplinary procedures.
Emergency Management Group
The Emergency Management Group is responsible for controlling all technical aspects of emergency response. The group will be
led by the Commander. Members of this group (and only these designated members) have the authority to:
-
Order facility shutdown
Initiate evacuation of employees and service-users
Declare that an incident has ended
Communicate with the media
Initiate the emergency response phone tree
The following employees comprise the Emergency Management Group
-
[Employee name and role] (Commander)
[Employee name and role]
[Employee name and role]
Emergency Response Workflow
In the aftermath of an emergency, follow these steps:
-
Ensure the safety of personnel on the property by evaluating any remaining hazards and controlling security at the
scene of the incident
Conduct an employee briefing
Maintain detailed records. (Record all decision making and videotape or photograph the damage)
Follow your notification procedures. Notify employees' families about on-duty personnel, notify off-duty personnel
about their work status and alert insurers and appropriate government agencies
Separate damaged property from undamaged property and retain damaged goods until an insurance adjuster can view
them. Protect undamaged property as much as possible
Perform an inventory count on damaged goods (with an adjuster, if possible)
CaSE Insurance is a trading name of CaSE Insurance Services Limited. Registered in England: Number 07456845. Registered Address: Manor House, 1 The
Crescent, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 8DY. Appointed representative of aQmen Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. You
may remove the CaSE Insurance header and footer and replace these with your own organisation’s logos and details.
Disclaimer: This document is intended purely as introductory information on the subject matter, and does not provide you with information on risk
management or insurance, or advice (whether legal or financial) on which you should rely. You should always seek professional advice specific to your
requirements.
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Communication
Equipment
There are mobile phones, laptops equipped with wireless internet and any other relevant backup communication tool stored:
[location of emergency communication kit].
Notifications
Employees should report and emergency by contacting [employee name] or [employee name].
To aid employees in their notification efforts, the emergency telephone list and employee contact list will be stored: [location
of emergency telephone list and employee contact list]. A copy of these documents is attached to this BCP.
In the event of an emergency that requires a facility-wide evacuation, we will send out the following announcement to all
employees:
Due to a developing incident, we ask you to please calmly exit the building and reconvene at our designated meeting
point located at [emergency meeting point]. Bring only items that are necessary, such as medication or clothing for
inclement weather. Assist your co-workers in assuring that your area of the building is completely evacuated and that
everyone is calmly heading for the company meeting spot. We will release more information at that time. Thank you.
Confidentiality
[Insert any confidentiality details, agreements or procedures that should be followed to ensure there is no dissemination of
confidential information during crisis communications.]
Organisational Chart
[Insert organisational chart and/or attach as appendix]
Service-user Lists
[Insert a list of service users and contact details, if applicable, and/or attach as appendix]
Utility Provider Information
[Insert utility provider information and contact details and/or attach as appendix]
Suppliers and Equipment Providers
[Insert supplier and equipment provider information and contact details and/or attach as appendix]
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Preparedness
Evacuation Planning
In the event of an emergency that requires a facility-wide evacuation, we will send out an announcement to all employees.
This may be accompanied by a warning sound or alarm that sounds like [insert details of warning sound featured on PA system].
Emergency exits will be marked with appropriate signage and lighting to attract attention and guide evacuating employees; this
lighting will remain in operation if power fails. Employees are required to exit the building through designated evacuation routes
when at all possible.
If service-users or third-parties, such as suppliers or contractors, are also in the building when a warning is issues, they should be
guided to evacuate along with employees to [emergency meeting point].
Assembly and Accountability
Following the declaration of a facility evacuation, employees should meet at [emergency meeting point]. Here, all employees,
volunteers and other parties present on our premises at the time of the evacuation must sign in by paper logs or by making
recordable contact with the Emergency Management Group. Third-parties can leave the emergency meeting point once
accounted for, but must sign out with a member of the Emergency Management Group.
The names and last-known locations of any personnel not accounted for should be given to the Emergency Management Group.
After two hours, local authorities will be notified about any personnel still not accounted for.
Shelter
In the event of severe weather, employees should report to [provide details of a designated shelter area(s)].
Training
Employees and volunteers will be thoroughly trained on emergency evacuation and business restoration procedures.
Specifically,
-
All employees will review disaster preparation and emergency action plan procedures with department heads
New employees will be introduced to emergency action plans during employee orientation
Mock disaster training will be conducted annually and will involve local police and fire authorities
Quarterly training will involve all of the following drills and culminate in full-scale mock disaster training:
o Walk-through drills: The business continuity planning team, department heads and recovery teams will
perform their emergency response functions
o Functional drills: These drills will test specific functions such as medical response, emergency notifications,
warning and communication procedures and equipment, though not necessarily at the same time. Facility
shutdown procedures will be tested, reviewed and modified as needed. Personnel are asked to evaluate the
systems and identify problem areas
o Evacuation drills: Personnel walk the evacuation route to a designated area where procedures are tested for
accounting for all personnel. Participants are asked to make notes as they go along on what might become a
hazard during an emergency, such as stairways cluttered with debris and smoke in the hallways. Plans are to
be modified accordingly and problem areas are to be corrected as soon as possible
o Full-scale exercises: A real-life emergency situation is simulated as closely as possible. These exercises involve
company emergency response personnel, employees and management as well as community response
organisations
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Property
The following systems are in place:
Details of System
Maintenance and Planning Details
Fire Protection System
Water-level Monitoring System
Overflow Detection System
Automatic Shutoff System
Emergency Power Generation Systems
Mitigation
Upon review of the risk assessments, the following steps should be taken to mitigate the changes of an emergency occurring.
[Provide details of mitigation that has been identified as appropriate by your risk assessments. This section is specific to your
organisation, operations, activities and premises. It may include monthly checks on fire alarm batteries, personal mains-powered
electronic devices getting tested before use in the office, etc.]
Facility Shutdown
The Emergency Management Group is responsible for controlling all aspects of emergency response and is the only group with
the authority to declare a facility shutdown. Prior to doing so, the Emergency Management Group will assess options regarding
staffing levels and volunteering. If reducing staffing or volunteering activity is not sufficient to ensure safe operations, the facility
shutdown will be declared and the following procedure will be followed:
[Detail the process for shutting down operations on a temporary basis. Ensure this process is quick, efficient and safe, but also
does whatever it can to ensure an easy and quick restart when your operations can resume].
Records Preservation
Backup data facilities have been identified at the following location:
[Provide details of company, primary contact, telephone, email, address].
The identified location of the backup site will be accessible for a minimum period of <Insert period> from initial date of
occupancy after disaster declaration. It will be available for 24-hour access and retrieval and be protected by: security, fire
suppression, water detectors, heating, air and ventilation. This storage facility will be reviewed for effectiveness annually.
All files vital to operations will be stored at this backup site. The off-site storage process will include, but is not limited to:
-
Backup tapes – weekly backup tapes of ALL DISK FILES, including mainframe, mid-range, servers and PCs (mandatory
and with at least two generations)
System, programme and in-house developed software manuals and guides
Legal – copies of contracts, leases, legal and critical correspondences
Insurance – policies, riders and addendums
Financial – general and private ledgers, year-end financial statements, tax returns and bank records
Recovery plans – a complete set
Assets – complete fixed asset listings
Referenced items – copies of any item referenced within your recovery team plans
Floor plans
Architectural drawings, including mechanical plans
Photos of facility and various work areas
Other crucial documents or data critical to the operation of business
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Community Outreach
Mutual Aid Agreements
The following is an agreement between and [details of local response agency and/or local business] to assist in an emergency by
[what service or support will be provided as part of this agreement].
[Employee name] will oversee activating the chain of command.
The following communication procedures should be followed:
[Provide details of how to activate and manage this aid].
The following agencies will participate in facility training exercises whenever possible:
[Provide details of the agencies or organisations that will participate in your training whenever possible].
Public Information
The following serves as publicly-available information regarding our organisation’s function and the way we will respond to
emergencies. Please note that all media communication should go through the Emergency Management Group.
[Details of what our organisation does]
[List any potential hazards to the community that arise from our work]
[Detail our emergency response plans]
[Detail the potential impact to the community that would arise from an emergency]
[List active partnerships with local fire, police and other emergency responders]
Media Response
In the event of an emergency, the following is a guide on how we will interact with the media in order to protect personnel
while also communicating important information.
[Designated spokesperson and alternative spokesperson]
[Briefing area, method or approved communications channels]
[Details on what action must be taken before information will be considered for public release, e.g. checking for confidentiality,
data protection implications etc.]
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Recovery and Restoration
Operations
[List all operations functions in order of importance and attach a copy of the Business Impact Analysis for this function].
Service Provision
[List all service provision functions in order of importance and attach a copy of the Business Impact Analysis for this function].
Marketing and Support
[List all marketing and service-user support/customer service functions in order of importance and attach a copy of the Business
Impact Analysis for this function].
General Management and Infrastructure
[List all general management functions in order of importance and attach a copy of the Business Impact Analysis for this
function].
Human Resources
[List all human resources functions in order of importance and attach a copy of the Business Impact Analysis for this function].
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Implementation and Maintenance
Operations Integration
We will educate all new hires and existing employees about the importance of continuity planning. Details of this plan will be
accessible to all employees on request. Organisation-wide review of our emergency operations and planning will be conducted
annually as well as any time the plan is significantly modified or there are significant changes within our organisation.
We pledge to do the following for our staff:
-
Provide a safe working environment
Implement emergency alerts in the event of a disaster
Conduct a damage assessment to decide the best response and recovery plans possible
If a shutdown occurs, provide employees with aid and resources to support them
Build upon agreed strategies to restore operations
Provide backup storage for data
Communicate all procedures in event of shutdown
Business Interruption Insurance
[Insert details of business interruption insurance].
Drills and Exercises
The following timeline indicates when training and drills for employees and volunteers will take place.
-
Management Review: [Date or frequency]
Employee/Volunteer Orientation: [Date or frequency]
Community and Media Orientation: [Date or frequency]
Management Tabletop Exercise: [Date or frequency]
Response Team Tabletop Exercise: [Date or frequency]
Walkthrough Drill: [Date or frequency]
Functional Drills: [Date or frequency]
Evacuation Drill: [Date or frequency]
Full-scale Exercise: [Date or frequency]
Employee Training
All employees and volunteers are required to actively follow this policy. We encourage employees and volunteers to take a
proactive approach in identifying potential hazards and promptly report them to supervisors.
New hire and periodic employee training will be provided and is required. Programmes will consist of education sessions, drills
and exercises. These will address individual roles and responsibilities, information about threats and hazards, notification and
warning systems emergency response procedures, evacuation and shelter procedures, emergency equipment briefings and the
emergency shutdown procedures.
Employees and volunteers will be taught to familiarise themselves with the evacuation plans and know of a primary and
secondary emergency route out of their workplace. They will be taught to know who to contact in an emergency and how to
contact them and how to report risks, concerns, hazards and other items; employees and volunteers will be briefed on our
whistleblowing policy.
Annual Audit
An audit of this business continuity plan will be conducted annually. Additionally, evaluation and modification will be performed
after each training exercise, emergency, changes in personnel responsibilities, changes in facility layout or design and changes in
policies or procedures. Personnel will be briefed every time changes or modifications have been made to the plan.
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Appendix
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Business Impact Analysis
Business Impact Analysis (BIA) examines the potential result of interruption or disruption to key functions within an organisation
and collects the information necessary to determine short-term and long-term recovery objectives. A BIA includes analysis of
operational and financial impacts. The following negative outcomes should be considered:
-
Personnel impacted (potential for outsourcing, overtime labour, volunteer morale etc.)
Failure to provide services to service-users or inability to respond to service-user demand, etc.
Regulatory fines, contractual penalties or other issues arising from contracts or service-level agreements
Service-user dissatisfaction
Reputational damage
A business function is an operation or process that is necessary to the ongoing success of an organisation. Examples of business
functions include:
-
Helpline or call centre
Website or support services
Maintenance of relationships with suppliers
Employee or volunteer recruitment
Recovery Time Objective is the time within which a business function must be restored after a business interruption occurs in
order to prevent irreversible damage.
Business Function
Business Category
(delete as appropriate)
Departments Affected
Recovery Time Objective
Operations
Service Provision
Marketing and Support
General Management
Human Resources
Other (please specify)
Key Personnel
Regulatory Fines
Lost Sales and Income
Contractual Penalties
Short-term Recovery Plans
Long-term Recovery Plans
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