What is a Business Continuity Plan?

A business continuity plan is essential to continue operations in light of a disruption. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has tools and resources available for businesses to plan ahead for hazards and disasters. These tools are available at Ready.gov/business and can help your business plan for a variety of hazards, including:

• Natural hazards like floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes;
• Health hazards such as widespread and serious illnesses;
• Human-caused hazards including accidents and acts of violence;
• Technology-related hazards like power outages and equipment failure.

It is up to you as a business leader to prepare your organization for potential hazards. Resources are available, including Ready Business Toolkits, that contain information related to specific hazards that affect many parts of the propane industry. Remember, just because your plant was not affected by a recent disruption, it is still possible that your local supply points have lost power or are not operational. Being prepared for all aspects of a hazard or disaster is important to you, your customers, and your bottom line.

As we rely on technology more every year, it is important to understand the vulnerabilities to those parts of your business that many tend to overlook. The technology you use every day can be affected by power outages, internet or cellular outages, physical theft, ransomware, and many other factors.  It is important to identify the risks you are susceptible to and include these aspects in your security planning.

To help your company prepare for potential supply interruptions, NPGA provides members a variety of resources, including the ABCs of Supply Preparation, which are available on the Member Dashboard.    For more information, please contact NPGA’s Eric Sears.