Overview and Learning Outcomes
Module Overview
This module begins with a discussion of some of the issues that face company emergency planners in
dealing with persons with language, physical, or intellectual limitations. In many cases, persons who
do not speak the commonly-spoken language of the workplace are at a disadvantage prior to, during,
and after a disaster. Preparedness information is often not read, evacuation orders may not be
understood, and applications for disaster financial assistance may not be available. Similarly, persons
who have either intellectual or physical limitations may be left out and at additional risk during
evacuations and during the rescue and recovery phases.
We also know that women and children may be disadvantaged in a disaster. Women have different
needs than men and often require alternate and/or additional support. Women who are pregnant or
breast­feeding are just two examples of how companies need to think about issues of gender in
mitigation as well as in emergency response planning.
The module concludes with a discussion on mitigation strategies, and the composition and roles and
responsibilities of the Mitigation Subcommittee and the basics of putting together a mitigation plan.
Learning Outcomes
Once you have successfully completed this module, you will be able to:
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Identify ethno-cultural factors as they relate to disaster management
Identify the risks of those with special needs
Identify issues of gender as they apply to disaster management
Define mitigation with respect to disaster management
Identify mitigative strategies
List the roles and responsibilities of the Mitigation Subcommittee
Develop a mitigation plan.
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Ethno-Cultural Considerations
In the past, emergency planners have given little consideration to the ethno-cultural aspects of an
emergency in the workplace. Indeed, few have taken cultural differences into account despite the
reality that Statistics Canada tells us that tens of thousands of Canadians speak neither French nor
English. We know from experience and other sources that a significant number of Canadian workers
do not communicate well in the language common to the workplace.
#image=float:right
earthquake-1665894_1280.jpg
Alt: Aftermath of an earthquake
Caption: Aftermath of an earthquake
License: pixabay.com
/image
From studies in other countries, we have also learned that, among employers, there is a tendency to
see all ethnic minorities as one group of employees — this despite the well-known fact that each
ethnic group has different cultural attitudes and perceptions. For example, failure to recognize these
differences caused problems for emergency responders during the 1989 earthquake in Loma Prieta,
California. After the Loma Prieta earthquake, the American Red Cross took the unusual move of
declaring a park as an official shelter, rather than an indoor shelter. Many of the Mexican families
who went to the park had prior experience of earthquakes in Mexico, where large structures
collapsed in aftershocks, and they were afraid to go into buildings. As well, their perception was that
if they left, and did not stay in close proximity to their homes, their possessions would be looted and
stolen. The community of Loma Prieta had not done any planning for its existing cultural groups, thus
they were unable to cope with the diets of the mostly Hispanic people — as a result, many developed
diarrhea because of unfamiliar foods. Finally, the community had not involved the Hispanic
community in any disaster preparedness planning and lacked any citizen participation in the process.
Studies in the United States have also shown that, following a disaster, ethnic minority groups tend to
have higher death and injury rates than majority groups. Moreover, the studies of minority
populations revealed different methods of communicating information, different perspectives on
emergency preparedness, distinctively different attitudes toward personal risk, and greater difficulty
in recovering after a disaster.
Identifying the Ethno-Cultural Populations
When determining how best to ensure that employees who belong to different ethno-cultural groups
are safe and able to access pre-, during and post-disaster services, the first thing to do is to identify
who these populations might be. Click on the factors below to learn what you need to consider.
#accordion
2
Cultural Minorities
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Are there employees in the workplace who belong to cultural minorities?
Are there just a few employees in this category, or are there a relatively high number of
them?
Are these employees physically located in the same area, or are they located in a variety of
departments?
Common Language
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Do these employees have problems communicating in the language common to the
workplace?Do they have difficulty communicating orally?
Do they have difficulty understanding written communication?
Are translators available in case of an emergency?
Is emergency preparedness material available in other languages?
Are pictographs used instead of written words?
How do training programs accommodate language and cultural differences?
Information Needs
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Has anyone asked employees about the types of information that would be of greatest use to
them?
We know that different groups use information in different ways. What means would most
suit employees in your company?
Ethnic Neighbourhoods
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Do the ethnic minorities in the workplace live in the same neighbourhood?
How vulnerable are these neighbourhoods?
If a community disaster occurred, would these employees have more difficulty than others in
finding housing, transportation, loans, and other essential supplies and services?
If so, can the company make specific plans to facilitate their return to work?
In some communities, the homes of ethnic minorities are scattered throughout the community.
In other communities ethnic minorities may have congregated and live in the same
neighbourhood. For example, a community may have a “Chinatown” or “Little India.” As a result,
if one neighbourhood is particularly impacted by a disaster, and if the company’s work force is
primarily from an ethnic minority that lives in that neighbourhood it may find itself with
disproportionate numbers of staff unable to come to work.
Customers and Visitors
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Do you a ethnic customers or visitors to your site? Similarly, organizations need to consider
their visitors and customers. For example, if a company was to determine that 60% of its
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clientele were Chinese, then it would be prudent for the company to invest in having
evacuation signs translated into Chinese.
/accordion
Special Needs Considerations
#example
If a major earthquake struck the community and roads were impassable, it is quite feasible that
employees may have to stay at work for twenty-four hours or more. A diabetic person does not have
sufficient insulin on hand for this length of time. Should this have been considered in the plan?
/example
While employees with special needs have begun to receive greater consideration from people who
plan for emergencies, there is still much improvement to be made. There is recognition that visually
and hearing impaired employees, or those confined to a wheelchair, are more at risk than others in
the workplace.
#image=float:right
motorized-wheelchair-952190_1920
Alt: Person in wheelchair
Caption: People with special needs need to be considered
License: pixabay.com
/image
Any physical disability can hamper an employee’s ability to respond to a call for evacuation. Inability
to see or hear may also put an employee at a disadvantage in obtaining preparedness information. As
well, it is important to realize that persons with chronic medical conditions may be at risk if the
disaster affects their ability to obtain their medication or special care either from home or elsewhere.
Furthermore, organizations have to also be concerned about visitors and customers. Some of these
persons may have special needs and if they are required to remain in the building for an extended
period of time, or if they are required to evacuate, they many need special attention in order to
survive the hazardous event without serious injury.
Therefore, it is important to review how cultural factors and special needs may affect your company’s
ability to react to, and recover from, a disaster. Some of the issues you may wish to consider may be
found in the following article.
Identifying the Special Needs
Similarly, businesses and organizations need to determine if their employees have special needs.
Asking some simple questions will help to address the concern. Click on each of the questions below
to learn more what you should consider.
#accordion
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Are there employees with special medical needs?
It is important to realize that in many cases the company may not know that certain employees have
medical conditions; some employees may not want others to know that they have certain illnesses
(e.g., HIV-AIDS, hepatitis). In determining which employees may have special needs, it is important for
the emergency planner or planning committee to be sensitive to employees’ right to privacy.
Individual employees should take responsibility for ensuring that they have the necessary medication
and equipment on site to take care of their needs for up to 72 hours. Extra batteries for hearing aids,
additional medical supplies, adequate nutrition, and special hygienic supplies should also be on hand.
The role of the planning committee is to ensure that all employees understand this responsibility.
In a number of cases, the special needs of certain employees may be visible or well known. If so, have
these employees been identified and has an evaluation of their needs been completed? Are other
services offered onsite that hire adults with special needs? (For example, the Canadian National
Institute for the Blind may operate a cafeteria or canteen on contract for a company work site.)
It is also important to recognize that some special needs conditions are temporary. For example,
consideration should also be given to women in the workplace who are pregnant. Those in late term
pregnancy may have more difficulty evacuating a building. Employees may come to work with
temporary medical needs such as a broken arm or leg in a cast which may make it difficult for them to
respond adequately in an emergency. A fluid, continual planning process should take these factors
into consideration.
Has the company worked with employees with special needs to develop a plan that would
meet their needs in an emergency?
Do other workers need training to assist these employees during an emergency? Have fire,
earthquake, and other drills been conducted to ensure the efficient and safe evacuation of people
with special needs?
Are additional emergency preparedness equipment and materials required? If so, have they
been purchased and organized?
Employees in wheelchairs may require fire alarms where they can reach them, crash bars on exit
doors, and so on. For employees with impaired hearing, an alarm system may need to include flashing
lights.
What if your warning system uses a horn or a clanging bell? There may be some noisy locations in
which people using hearing protection would not hear the alarm. There may be people with impaired
hearing who would not hear an audible alarm at all.
Detection of an emergency may happen at the same time for everybody, for example, during a major
earthquake. Some emergencies, however, are first detected by an individual who must then raise the
alarm; ask yourself if everyone would be able to do this. If the emergency call boxes or alarm strips
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are not completely accessible to everyone, or require some strength or coordination to activate, they
should be changed.
If there are signs posted, for instance, to indicate evacuation routes, or to explain emergency
procedures, they must be clear to everybody. This may mean that they should include language
translations, or use universal pictograms, or include Braille plaques.
Is there a day care centre at work?
Some companies have in-house day care for the children of employees. Have the day care operators
and the children been involved in the emergency planning process? People with special needs must
participate in planning emergency preparedness, and plans must take into account unique or
challenging situations.
Who visits the site?
The next issue to address is to make sure that the organization or business takes into account its
visitors and customers. Following the 2001 Nisqually earthquake, the Bank of America found that
while its staff were well trained to “Duck, cover and hold on,” its visiting staff from elsewhere in the
US had no idea what to do when the earthquake struck. Putting up signs in common meeting places
such a board rooms advising visitors what actions to take if faced with a potential hazard may be lifesaving.
Malls, retail stores, hotels and other businesses who have many customers may need to carefully
review and plan for persons with disabilities and medical needs in case of an evacuation, or if people
are required to remain on the premises for extended periods of time such as during a hurricane or
major snowstorm.
/accordion
Planning for Movement and Evacuation
Movement and evacuation depend on a speedy and orderly flow of people, through corridors and
doorways, down stairwells, or across lawns or fields. At any given time in a workplace, there will be
people who will find this difficult or even impossible without help. This includes people who:
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use motorized or manual wheelchairs
walk with support
have respiratory or heart problems
are pregnant
use guide or therapy dogs
are taking medication that slows reaction time or causes shortness of breath.
6
Statistics Canada (2015) reports the following
estimates of the number of disabled persons in
Canada as of 2012 (See Table 1). When we
consider that 7.2% of the population, or
approximately 2.5 million persons, are mobility
challenged, that can pose significant challenges
when determining how best to evacuate large
numbers of customers.
The same report also identifies the numbers of
persons with hearing and seeing disabilities. If one
was to take these same percentages to existing
customer bases it would provide a good estimate
of how many persons would be challenged with
having to take note of any evacuation orders and rapidly leave the premises.
#example
If you know that in a large shopping mall there are up to 12,000 customers in the mall at any given
time, then you should be planning for up to 700 customers who may need special attention due to
hearing and seeing disabilities.
/example
These numbers become an additional concern if a storm or earthquake results in the building
elevators shutting down during an emergency evacuation of the building? The emergency plan should
not assume that the only people who would be affected by this are those who use wheelchairs.
People with various medical conditions, or who are taking some kinds of medications, might also have
real problems walking quickly down many flights of stairs. Remember also, that limited mobility can
be a temporary condition — the evacuation plans should take into account the possibility of someone
who has just come back to work after surgery, or is temporarily using crutches.
Many of these people may not even identify themselves as “disabled” if they were asked about it
before an emergency situation. You must plan in advance how everyone will be moved or evacuated,
and include specific instructions in the emergency response plan and training.
#key-point
If anyone uses a wheelchair, scooter, or other support, start by collaborating with that person
directly. Everyone’s condition is unique; how someone is moved during an evacuation depends on
the type of wheelchair, the person’s physical condition, and personal preference.
/key-point
Sometimes, people will need to stop to rest or catch their breath during an evacuation. Anyone
having difficulty during an emergency or evacuation should have a “buddy” (designated in the
evacuation plan).
Additional information on developing evacuation plans is contained in Module 6.
7
Planning for Safety and Refuge
#image=float:right
exit-1722888_1920
Alt: Exit sign in dark building
Caption: Ensure exit signs are clearly visible
License: pixabay.com
/image
Areas of refuge are now commonly designated in buildings. To be effective, a refuge area must be
accessible, protected from hazards, clearly identified, and not used for any other purpose, such as
storage. It can be safer in some emergencies for people with limited mobility to remain in an area of
refuge until emergency personnel can properly evacuate them. However, there must be clear
procedures in order for this to happen. Procedures must specifically answer questions such as:
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Should a “buddy” wait with someone in a refuge area?
How will people in a refuge area communicate with people outside the area? Can they notify
emergency personnel of their location? Can they receive instructions from emergency
personnel?
Will emergency responders check all the refuge areas? How will they know the location(s) of
the refuge area(s)?
You must ask the fire or emergency service in your community about procedures for the areas of
refuge, since these procedures may vary from one emergency service to another. These procedures
should be written in your emergency plan and be included in all training and exercises.
#image=float:right
9-11 Photos (CC BY 2.0)
Alt: World Trade Center building collapsing
Caption: World Trade Center building collapsing
License: 9/11 Photos (CC BY2.0)
/image
A safe refuge usually involves assembly at a previously chosen place for a head count immediately
after an emergency or evacuation. At this time, communication must be clear to everyone, so it may
be necessary to translate instructions and information. A “buddy” should be designated to
accompany anyone who has difficulty seeing; the buddy can describe the location and any hazards,
and help with any further movement. If there is smoke or dust in the air, people with respiratory
problems may need to move to a cleaner location, if possible.
The presentation by Dr. Greshon provides us with some excellent information regarding the
challenges that the disabled, as well as the general workforce, faced during the evacuation of the
World Trade Center Disaster in 2001. As you read through the presentation think about the
implications for your workplace.
#reading
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High rise building evacuation: Lessons learned from the World Trade Center Disaster.
https://ssa.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/uploads/HighRiseBuildingEvacuation.pdf
/reading
Gender Considerations
Unfortunately, many organizations have not given careful consideration to the relevance of gender in
an emergency planning context. Although a gradual change is occurring, most community emergency
planners and managers are men with military and/or fire or police backgrounds. While women are
over-represented in the areas of Emergency Social Services (ESS) and Non-Government Organization
(NGO) volunteers, they are significantly under-represented in emergency planning and management.
Because emergency planning and management is still a male-dominated area, a concerted effort
needs to be made to ensure that women are adequately represented on planning subcommittees,
and in emergency response and recovery activities. When women are not adequately represented,
their gender-related needs are seldom considered.
There are a number of questions which companies should ask. Click on the sample that we have
provided below to learn more what they entail.
#accordion
Women employees and customers have special needs that are gender related. Have these
needs been addressed?
As mentioned earlier, women who are pregnant may require special assistance to evacuate. Some
women may be breast­feeding and using a breast pump during their work day and storing breast milk
in the refrigerator. As well, if menstruating women are unable to leave the building following a major
disaster (such as an earthquake) are there sufficient hygiene and sanitary supplies to support them
until they can return home?
Do some women have families and have small children?
If a disaster strikes they will be concerned about getting back to their families immediately and be in
contact with them. Statistics Canada reports that 80% of single parents in Canada are women. Does
your company have communication plans in place to assist single mothers to communicate or to
reunite them with their children or to assist them in getting to daycare?
If there has been wide-spread damage as a result of a disaster, it is likely that schools and
daycares will be closed?
Does your company have a policy and program in place to allow for mothers (and fathers) to bring
their children to work until schools and child care facilities have reopened?
Are there women on the company’s emergency committees?
Women should be included on your company’s emergency committees. This will help to ensure that
gender issues will be included in all aspects of the plan.
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Do they receive the same amount of training as men?
It is important for women to have the same training as men. Sometimes your workforce may be
more women than men.
/accordion
Violence against Women
Although not as directly relevant to businesses, it is important to understand that over the past
fifteen to twenty years there has been increased attention given to the issues of violence against
women. In North America today, police now have much stronger policy and law regarding charging
spouses and partners in cases of domestic assault, violence, and abuse. Transition houses have been
established in many communities to provide a shelter for women who wish to leave an unhealthy
domestic situation. Now, researchers are starting to realize there are concerns regarding increased
levels of violence against women in post-disaster situations. As well, in many cases researchers find
that women from cultures different from North American and Western European cultures may be at
increased risk. Human Resources personnel should be aware of the post-disaster risk to women and
be concerned with increased absences from work and/or signs that abuse may be occurring.
#link
The Gender and Disaster Network is a great site for more information on how women are impacted
both during and after a disaster.
/link
10
Mitigation Strategies
To mitigate is to make something less severe, or less difficult to deal with. By opening an umbrella,
you mitigate the risk of a shower in a rainstorm. By taking an aspirin, you may be able to mitigate the
pain of a headache. And by finding acceptable compromise, you mitigate the unpleasantness of
confrontation.
#key-point
There are two general categories of mitigative actions:
Structural mitigation is the work done to a structure so that it is more resilient to the impacts of a
hazard. For example, an unreinforced masonry building could be seismically upgraded so that it is
more resilient to the impact of an earthquake.
Non-structural mitigation is the work done to minimize damage inside the building; actions taken to
non-structural elements of the building or to its contents. For example, light fixtures may be safely
secured to the ceiling so that in the case of an earthquake the lights don’t start to sway, break and fall
on employees.
/key-point
#reading
Here is a very informative discussion of how mitigation can help: Have You Addressed Flood
Mitigation Strategies?
/reading
Current research defines the concept of mitigation as central to the success of disaster management.
In Disaster by Design (Mileti, 1999), Dennis Mileti concluded that a shift in the field of disaster
management must occur to allow a focus on “sustainable hazard mitigation.” Sustainable hazard
mitigation was defined as:
#definition
Mitigate: strategies undertaken in order to eliminate or reduce the risk; reduce the consequences of
a disaster occurring, or by spreading the risks so as to reduce the company’s liability as long as these
strategies did not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
/definition
Mileti argues that there are six objectives that must simultaneously be reached in order to mitigate
hazards in a sustainable way:
1. Maintaining and enhancing environmental quality, i.e., human activities should not reduce
the carrying capacity of the ecosystem.
2. Maintaining and enhancing people’s quality of life.
3. Fostering local resiliency and responsibility.
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4. Recognizing that vibrant local economies are essential.
5. Ensuring inter- and intra-generational equity, i.e., not precluding a future generation’s
opportunity for fulfilment and satisfaction by exhausting resources in the present generation.
6. Adopting local consensus-building practices.
#image=float:right
high-water-876580_1920
Alt: Rescue operation during flooding
Caption: Rescue operation during flooding
License: CC0 Public Domain; pixabay.com
/image
Despite these findings at the turn of the last century, in Canada, the idea that mitigation is central to
disaster management is still new. While some agencies and businesses have taken steps to
incorporate mitigation strategies into disaster management, by and large, the federal, provincial, and
municipal governments have yet to make any significant changes in how they operate. All too often
we see money quickly funneled into preparedness and response activities once a potential hazard has
been identified, but that level of funding is not sustained. For example, it is not uncommon in
potential flooding situations for governments to contribute millions of dollars towards dyke repairs
and other flood mitigation activities; however, once the threat diminished, funding stops and day-today operations continue without any consideration of ongoing mitigation programs. Often attention
is given only to one potential hazard and only when it presents an immediate and serious threat to
the community. Once this threat is alleviated, work ceases and little, if any, attention is given to other
hazards, risks, and vulnerabilities.
Canada’s National Mitigation Strategy and Program
Canada does have a national mitigation strategy which was launched in 2008, however, most
communities and businesses have little awareness as to the contents.
#link
Canada’s National Mitigation Strategy
National Disaster Mitigation Program
/link
There are many benefits to having a mitigation program in place. Here are some of them:
 Saving lives and reducing injuries
 Preventing or reducing property damage
 Reducing economic losses
 Protecting infrastructure from damage
 Maintaining critical facilities in functioning order
 Lessening legal liability of companies
 Minimizing employee uncertainty and stress
 Reducing losses and speeding up economic recovery
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In 2014, the National Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP) was launched with a focus on flooding.
This program provides funding to the private sector, communities and the provinces and territories to
engage in activities to reduce the likelihood of flooding on homes, businesses, livestock and
recreational areas.
The NDMP supports four main strategies to mitigation, even though it is only focused on flooding.
In order to achieve these benefits there are four potential mitigative strategies: eliminate the hazard,
reduce the risk, reduce the consequences, spread the risk. Click on each of these strategies below to
learn more about them.
#accordion
Eliminate the Hazard
Eliminating risk is not easily accomplished, but it is indeed possible. For example, in British Columbia,
the risk of further landslides onto the community of Garibaldi was so high that in the early 1980s the
government expropriated the land and moved everyone out of the community — one way of
eliminating the risk. As well, communities such as: Soldiers Grove in Wisconsin, Perth Andover in the
Maritimes, and along the Mississippi after the great 1994 floods have simply moved homes out of
existing flood plains and turned the land into green belts.
There are not many natural hazards that one can consider eliminating, but a number of humancaused hazards may be eliminated or relocated. Existing internal hazards should be carefully
examined to see if they are unavoidable. For example, it may be possible to replace toxic chemicals
with non-toxic hazards. It may be necessary to identify external hazards and lobby through business
associations or a municipal government to have these hazards eradicated.
Vaccination programs are another way in which one can eliminate the hazard of disease. Smallpox is
one of the world’s greatest achievements in terms of eradicating a disease through vaccination. Polio
was almost eradicated but as attitudes towards vaccination have shifted, it is starting to emerge once
again with devastating consequences. Click the link to read more about the story.
Polio’s Return After Near Eradication Prompts a Global Health Warning
Reduce the Risk
Reducing the risk involves looking at the sources of risk and attempting to diminish those sources —
by asking what can be done to lessen the chances of a hazardous event taking place. Activities can
include building away from known fault lines, monitoring high traffic marine lanes, and rerouting
transportation of dangerous goods away from critical facilities.
Reducing the risk is focused on reducing the likelihood of the hazard occurring. Most mitigation
practices reduce the consequences of a hazardous event, but do not reduce the risk. For example,
the installation of a sprinkler system does not reduce the likelihood of a fire from starting in the first
place, but it does reduce the potential damage from the fire.
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Safety practices, such as the storage of hazardous materials and employees’ safety training, are a way
of reducing risk. Following safety procedures reduces the risk of industrial accidents and humancaused disasters.
Safety measures a company may wish to consider include:
 isolation chambers for hazardous materials
 safety equipment requirements
 regular medical examinations for operators of dangerous equipment
 training courses
 safety inspections.
Setting and reinforcing standards, such as health, building, and fire codes, are another way of
reducing risk. If a building is built to code, and proper construction techniques are used, the chances
of a building collapse are greatly reduced. Ensuring regular outside maintenance such as tree pruning
will reduce the risk of power outages from windstorms.
Establishing proper security procedures is another way of reducing the risk of sabotage, terrorism or
of unintentional damage by untrained personnel. Policies your company may want to examine
include:
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access to the work site
employee identification
access to financial records
access to hazardous materials
computer security
hiring procedures and background checks.
Reducing the Consequences
To engage in reducing the consequences assumes that the disaster has occurred. The earthquake has
struck, the flood waters have arrived, the plane has crashed — now how can existing losses be
minimized and potential losses be avoided? When you can’t eliminate a hazard, and your company
has taken all the steps possible to reduce the risk, you must then try to cope with the situation and
minimize losses.
Reducing the consequences of a hazard means anticipating the threat by doing a risk and vulnerability
assessment and then taking all reasonable steps to reduce the company’s vulnerabilities. The
emergency response plan helps to reduce the consequences of an incident by making sure that
everyone knows what to do when the incident happens. In addition, there are other mitigative steps
that can be taken before the event.
Click to download a List of Issues to Be Considered for Reducing Consequences
Spreading the Risk
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Purchasing insurance is the most common means of spreading risk. When companies have done all
they can to eliminate hazards, and reduce risks and consequences, they purchase insurance to help
them cover potential losses. Examining existing vulnerabilities should assist companies in determining
their insurance needs. Some of the issues as they apply to business recovery are discussed in Module
9; additional questions a company should consider include:
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Is existing insurance sufficient to cover potential losses? Will it cover damage to vehicles,
computer equipment, and employees’ personal equipment on the work site?
Does the company have sufficient insurance for an interruption of business?
Does the company have a group life insurance program? If so, is it sufficient to defray the
costs of a disaster?
Will re-insurers be able to meet the needs of the company?
There are other means of spreading risk. One way is to approach competitors and to develop mutual
aid agreements. A mutual aid agreement provides for the sharing of resources and facilities after a
disaster. After past disasters, businesses have been known to step in to assist a competitor. When
First Interstate Bank, the largest bank in California, lost its main branch in a devastating fire, a main
competitor called with an offer of office space. Businesses recognize that at any time the situation
could be reversed, and they could be faced with the same or a similar problem. Mutual aid
agreements are a way of ensuring reciprocal survival and spreading the risk.
/accordion
Test Your Strategy
Consider the two offices as represented below: one a typical corporate office, the other a homebased office. What non-structural mitigation measures could you implement to reduce the
consequences of an expected earthquake?
Write down your mitigation measures. When done, click Reveal to read our ideas about this
challenge.
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#reveal
Here are our ideas of what can be done.
On reveal:
Non-structural mitigation activities before an earthquake may include:
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fasten all computers, printers, monitors, fax machines, etc. with earthquake mats, brackets
and fasteners, or Velcro safety attachments
use earthquake wax to secure any pictures to the walls
turn seating arrangements away from windows so that persons seated would not directly
face breaking glass
ensure that all bookcases, filing cabinets, etc. are firmly secured to the walls — ensure the
walls are not just office partitions
ensure that bookcases or shelving are not adjacent to the space behind a door — if the books
or shelving contents fall out behind the door, rescuers may be unable to open the door to
rescue you
avoid placing any heavy objects on upper shelves of bookcases, shelving units, or on top of
filing cabinets
ensure light fixtures, ceiling tiles, plants, etc. are firmly attached to the ceiling
/reveal
Mitigation Subcommittee Roles and Responsibilities
#image
File: office-1209640_1920
Alt: People collaborating on a project
Caption: Committee members need to collaborate closely
License: License: CC0 Public Domain; pixabay.com
/image
The Mitigation Subcommittee evaluates the results provided by the Hazard, Risk and Resiliency
Analysis Subcommittee. It will be up to this committee to determine which of the four mitigation
strategies to choose, implement and monitor.
The number of individuals sitting on a committee is not as important as ensuring that its function is
properly carried out. In a business environment, the members of this committee include a company
lawyer and an insurance agent and a member of the executive leadership team. It would be important
to have representatives from those departments that present the greatest risk to the company. For
example, perhaps there is a manufacturing department where there are a lot of chemicals, or a
loading dock that receives a variety of hazardous goods. Those high risk areas are the ones you want
represented on this committee, for they will undoubtedly be required to implement some of the
mitigation strategies. As well, a representative from the company’s public relations department
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would also be useful to the committee and can help keep others in the company informed as to the
success of contributing to a safer workplace.
The Mitigation Subcommittee is the most politically active of all the committees. It is through this
committee that company procedures, safety practices, and policies become established. For this
reason, someone representing Occupational Health and Safety should sit on the committee, either as
a representative of the personnel department or of corporate services.
#reading
A planner’s handbook for emergency preparedness, by Laughy, L. (1990), pp. 15−17.
/reading
Developing the Mitigation Plan
The Mitigation Subcommittee develops a mitigation plan in
three major steps. First, the members review the hazards and
the vulnerabilities. Second, and key to a successful mitigation
strategy, is to clearly write out the actions and assignments
required in order to eliminate or reduce the risks of identified
hazards. Third, action is planned, assigned, and then
implemented to reduce consequences of the identified
hazards, with consideration given to the use of insurance and
mutual aid agreements to spread the risk.
Some ways of accomplishing these steps include:
 Ensuring that no actions are taken that increase the risk to the company
 Developing a list of alternatives of known effective mitigative strategies which could be used
to eliminate or reduce the risks and consequences, and share the risk
 Identifying corporate goals and values, such as the desire to increase productivity, develop
new products, or provide a greater range of services
 Evaluating the economic, environmental, social, and political costs and benefits of
implementing mitigative strategies, based wherever possible on the corporate goals
 Developing a list of priorities based on an evaluation of the costs and benefits of corporate
goals
 Developing a mitigation policy
 Developing a corporate education program for company executives and employees at large
 Carefully implementing the policy.
A target group, person, or department must be chosen to carry out each task, and then with approval
of management, they must implement the assigned task.
In the third step, barriers to implementation should be identified early on and addressed. Barriers
may include limitations of budget or available staff.
After implementing the plan, a monitoring procedure should be established to ensure that all the
necessary actions were taken.
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After the Disaster
Various emergency planners have pointed out that a “window of opportunity” may open up after a
disaster or near-disaster. Individuals and companies are often more willing to take mitigative
measures post-disaster, but there is little in disaster research to indicate how long this window of
opportunity actually remains open, or the nature of it.
In Recovery from Disaster, Claire Rubin describes four realities of implementing mitigation measures
after a disaster. They are modified here to reflect a corporate perspective. Click on each to learn what
they include.
#accordion
Complexity
Programs dealing with only a single hazard may involve sophisticated long-range planning, a mix of
structural and non-structural measures, and extensive staging or scheduling. Multi-hazard analysis
and mitigation planning activities are even more complex.
Long Lead Time
Recovery may take many years. In addition, some structural mitigation measures such as dams,
dykes, and levees may take many years or even decades to complete. Thus, effective mitigation after
a disaster requires the foresight to envision how a company will look several years ahead.
Resistance to Mitigation
In the wake of a disaster, many competing forces influence the pattern and speed of recovery and
reconstruction. Usually businesses are impatient to rebuild and there is pressure from insurance
companies, developers, and real estate interests.
Local Corporate Capacity and Will
It can be costly for companies to engage in a post-disaster mitigation plan, and politically costly for
CEOs and executives of large corporations. This suggests that they need careful guidance in recovery
and mitigation.
/accordion
In practice, the type of actions that need to be taken post-disaster will be no different than those
required pre-disaster. Economical factors, insurance demands, community pressure, availability of
resources, and time constraints will all have a role in the direction that the mitigation strategy takes.
As you have seen in this module and in the readings, there are many possible mitigation strategies
possible for most situations. The choice of strategy depends very much on the available funds, human
and technical resources, and time. The decisions regarding mitigation strategy are best made in
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advance when all the information can be weighed calmly and carefully. Therefore, suitable mitigation
measures should be identified as part of your emergency plan preparations.
Module Summary
This module has covered several related areas. First considered were the possible ethno-cultural
factors as they may apply to your staff and customers. Various ways of engaging ethno-cultural
minorities were explored and some potential strategies for minimizing risk to these populations were
discussed. Similarly, issues and strategies for special needs populations, those with disabilities, were
presented and discussed. Also consideration in this first section included gender-based issues and
strategies for addressing these concerns.
The second section of the module was focused on mitigation. Structural and non-structural mitigation
measures were presented and you were provided with some information about Canada’s National
Mitigation Strategy and the new National Disaster Mitigation Program. Building on this program, four
possible mitigation strategies were identified and discussed. This section then concluded with a
discussion on the Mitigation Subcommittee, its role and responsibilities and how to develop a
Mitigation Plan.
As you have seen in this module and in the readings, there are many possible mitigation strategies
possible for most situations. The choice of strategy depends very much on the available funds, human
and technical resources, and time. The decisions regarding mitigation strategies are best made in
advance when all the information can be weighed calmly and carefully. Therefore, suitable mitigation
measures should be identified as part of your emergency plan preparations.
#quiz
Self-test
Good job! This brings you to the end of the fourth module. See how well you know the concepts
presented in this module by taking the self-test that follows.
OCHS 2440 Module 4 Self-Test
/quiz
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References
Gershon, R. R. M. (2006). High rise Building Evacuation: Lessons learned from the World Trade Center
Disaster. https://ssa.uchicago.edu/sites/default/files/uploads/HighRiseBuildingEvacuation.pdf
Laughy, L. (1990). A planner’s handbook for emergency preparedness. Vancouver, BC: UBC Centre for
Human Settlements.
Masetti, P.E. & Vatovec, M. (2016). Have You Addressed Flood Mitigation Strategies? Retrieved from
http://facilityexecutive.com/2016/01/question-of-the-week-have-you-addressed-flood-mitigationstrategies/
McNeil, D.C. (2014, May 5). Polio’s return after near eradication prompts a global health warning. The
New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/06/health/world-healthorganization-polio-health-emergency.html?_r=0
Mileti, D. (1999). Disaster by design. Washington, DC: Joseph Henry Press.
Public Safety Canada. (2016). Canada’s National Mitigation Strategy. Retrieved from
https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/mtgtn-strtgy/index-eng.aspx
Public Safety Canada. (2016). National Disaster Mitigation Program. Retrieved from
https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/mrgnc-mngmnt/dsstr-prvntn-mtgtn/ndmp/index-en.aspx
Rubin, C. (1991). Recovery from disaster. In T.E. Drabek & G.J. Hoetmer (Eds.), Emergency
management: Principles and practice for local government. Washington, DC: International City
Management Association, pp. 224−261.
Statistics Canada. (2015). Disability in Canada: Initial findings from the Canadian Survey on Disability.
Retrieved from http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/89-654-x/89-654-x2013002-eng.htm
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