Compass Group PLC
Summary Crisis Manual
Issue Number:
Issue Date:
Issued By:
1
October 2011
Sarah John
Strictly Private and Confidential
Message from Richard Cousins
October 2011
Dear colleagues,
Several international incidents over the last year have shown us the importance of having a structured crisis
management plan in place.
We have therefore produced a crisis manual, which has been written to help people prepare for and manage
work-related crises. It has been developed over several months, based on best practice from both within
Compass and externally. It aims to offer practical guidance on how to deal with the immediate issues following a
crisis situation and how to manage communication around a crisis.
This document is a summary of the manual containing the critical information on how to identify a crisis, what to
do in a crisis and how to communicate in a crisis.
In the event of any crisis, the safety of our colleagues and clients must always be our number one priority.
We must then:
1) Ensure the operation is secure: Work with your site/area manager to secure the operation and deal
with the immediate operational issues. Contact the emergency services if needed.
2) Identify severity of crisis: Using the evaluation guides provided in this document make a decision on the
level of response required.
3) Maintain a calm and orderly approach: Implement appropriate responses and follow guidelines on
communicating with external audiences.
It is also important to plan for potential crises to ensure you are as prepared as possible. All countries should
conduct a ‘live’ scenario-based physical test of their Crisis Plan at least once a year, with support from all
functions, and ideally sample sites / suppliers / clients to make the test as realistic as possible.
Country MDs must take ownership of the cascade and implementation of the Group Crisis Management
guidelines making sure that any existing process that is in place is aligned with the new guidelines. This manual
has been designed as a general guide rather than as a replacement for any existing crisis management plans.
If you already have a crisis process in place, please compare it with this and ensure there are no gaps or
inconsistencies. Countries’ own plans must be working documents that are practical to implement.
If you have any questions, please contact your Country MD or the Group Crisis Management Team in Chertsey.
Richard Cousins
Group Chief Executive
Crisis Manual - 01
How to evaluate a crisis
When faced with a crisis, the first step is to decide on the severity of the issue. This will be based on the
facts available at the time. The table below provides a guide as to how to classify the issue and then gives
guidance on the level of response required. If in any doubt, consult with a member of the Group Crisis
Management Team who will advise you of the best course of action.
Group and GMD contacted
Issues
Level 0
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Response led by
Site Manager
Area Manager
Regional / Sector
Director (or Country
Managing Director if
no Regional / Sector
Director)
Country MD & Local
Crisis Management
Team
Group Crisis
Management Team,
GMD & Country MD
Issue reported to
Area Manager
Regional / Sector
Director (or Country
Managing Director if
no Regional / Sector
Director)
Country MD (if not
already aware),
Leadership Team
Member & Group
Media Relations
GMD & Global Crisis
Management Team
Group CEO
Health and
Safety
• Recordable first aid
incident
• Company motor
vehicle accident
involving damage to
vehicle
• Recordable injury
• Company
motor vehicle accident
involving minor injury to
Compass employees
• Serious work-related
injury, including
company motor
vehicle accident
• Work-related fatality
(e.g. fall from height,
electrocution)
• Motor vehicle
accident in company
vehicle on company
business
• Contained outbreak
of disease
• More than one
work-related fatality
• Uncontrolled spread
of disease
Food Safety
• Quality issue
regarding approved
products & suppliers at
local level (e.g. foreign
body in customer meal)
• Multiple quality issues
(e.g. problem with food
production in a unit)
• Suspected food
borne illness resulting
in 1 or more people
feeling unwell
• Small scale product
recall relating to
manufactured products
(e.g. canned drinks,
confectionary)
• Suspected food
borne illness resulting
in 2 or more people
feeling unwell
• Large scale product
recall relating to
manufactured products
(e.g. canned drinks,
confectionery)
• Suspected food
borne illness affecting
multiple client sites
Environmental
(e.g. earthquake,
severe floods or
storms)
–
• Natural disaster in
Compass country but
with no potential impact
on Compass business
• Natural disaster in
area of operation with
potential impact on
Compass business
• Natural disaster in
area of operation with
small scale impact on
Compass business
• Natural disaster with
large scale impact on
Compass business
Security (e.g. acts
of terrorism or civil
unrest)
–
• Developing issue in
Compass country but
with no potential impact
on Compass business
• Issue in area of
operation with potential
impact on Compass
business but no threat
to human life
• Issue in area of
operation with small
scale impact on
Compass business &
employees
• Issue with large scale
impact on Compass
business and threat
to life of Compass
employees
Evacuations (e.g.
as a result of fire or
natural disaster)
• Partial site evacuation
with minimal impact on
Compass business
• Partial site
evacuation with impact
on Compass business
• Full site evacuation
• Multiple site
evacuation
• Region or country
evacuation
Other
(e.g. equipment
failure, disruption
to supply chain or
employee unrest)
–
• Material equipment
failure with impact on
Compass business
• Disruption to supply
chain with impact on
one Compass site
• Disruption to supply
chain with impact on
multiple Compass sites
• Potential strike by
Compass employees at
a small number of sites
• Disruption to supply
chain with impact on
region or country
• Potential strike by
Compass employees at
multiple sites
–
Corporate
Reputation
–
–
• Discovery of potential
financial malpractice at
one site
• Potential media stories
that would be damaging
to Compass
• Discovery of potential
financial malpractice at
multiple sites
• Discovery of potential
large scale financial
malpractice
Group and GMD contacted
02 - Crisis Manual
What to do in a crisis
For any level of crisis, you should:
• Ensure colleagues and customers are safe and accounted for
• Ensure the operation is secure
• Contact the relevent emergency services if needed
Level 0
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Employee
• Report to Site
Manager
• Report to Site
Manager
• Report to Site
Manager
• Report to Site
Manager
• Report to Site
Manager
Site Manager
• Record incident
• Report to Area
Manager
• Follow up with other
relevant parties if
appropriate
• Restore operations as
quickly as possible
• Report to Area
Manager
• Report to Area
Manager
• Report to Area
Manager
• Report to Area
Manager
Area Manager
• Monitor situation and
escalate if necessary
• Report to Regional /
Sector Director
• Follow up with other
relevant parties if
appropriate
• Restore operations as
quickly as possible
• Report to Regional /
Sector Director
• Report to Regional /
Sector Director
• Report to Regional /
Sector Director
Regional / Sector
Director
–
• Monitor situation and
escalate if necessary
• Report to Country MD
• Alert Group Media
Relations
• Follow up with other
relevant parties if
appropriate
• Draft possible holding
statements
• Ensure all media
enquiries are directed
to the appropriate
people or to Group
• Alert Hill & Knowlton if
approved by Group
• Report to Country MD
• Report to Country MD
Country MD
–
–
• Monitor situation
• Inform LCMT and
convene meeting if
appropriate
• Convene LCMT
• Report to GMD
& GCMT
• Alert Group Media
Relations
• Report to GCMT
Local Crisis
Management
Team (LCMT)
–
–
• Monitor situation and
escalate if necessary
• Follow up with other
relevant parties if
appropriate
• Draft possible holding
statements
• Ensure all media
enquiries are directed
to the appropriate
people or to Group
• Alert Hill & Knowlton if
approved by Group
• Report to GCMT
Group Crisis
Management
Team (GCMT)
–
–
–
• Monitor situation and
escalate if necessary
• Report to Group CEO
• Follow up with other
relevant parties if
appropriate
• Draft possible holding
statements
• Ensure all media
enquiries are directed
to the appropriate
people
• Take advice from
external advisers if
needed
• Ensure receipt of
regular updates on
situation & media
Crisis Manual - 03
ow to handle the media during
H
a crisis
General guidelines
•
Only trained individuals should speak to the media - if you are not a trained spokesperson, take the journalist’s
details and contact the relevant person.
•
All media statements should be drafted and approved by the Country MD and Group Media Relations
•
Contact Group Media Relations before employing external advisors or agencies or if you need
further information
•
Consult the Group Corporate Communications Code, available on Mercury, for further guidelines
Guidelines for trained spokespeople
DO:
•
Use agreed statements
•
Provide only factual information that has been verified and approved by Head Office
•
Tell the truth and do not forget to demonstrate compassion and integrity
•
Admit mistakes, if appropriate, explain how you’re going to solve the issue and then do what you promised
•
Monitor the media for signs of escalation. Remain objective and willing to make the necessary adjustments to your strategy and messaging
•
Update internal audiences following initial response
•
Respond to requests for information in agreed timescales
•
Keep a record of all printed information and conversations with the media
DO NOT:
•Discuss anything “off the record”
•
Say anything you do not want to see in print
•
Publicly speculate on the cause, results or any other aspects of the crisis
•
Use dramatic adjectives or phrases such as “fatal mistake”
•
Put a financial figure on damages
•
Say “no comment”. If you don’t have an answer, say so and then find the information
04 - Crisis Manual
Each country needs to formally
test its crisis process plan
at least once a year, with a
scenario-based test
Crisis Manual - 05
Compass Group PLC
Compass House, Guildford Street, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 9BQ
Telephone 01932 573 000
Registered in England, Registered Number 4083914
Compass Group PLC Crisis Manual - Strictly Confidential