Emergency preparation for construction businesses

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  Make a plan

  Create a business continuity plan to identify your risks and plan what you will do

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  Check policies

  Check workplace policies and procedures to reduce the risk of biosecurity threats, workplace accidents and other emergencies

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  Train staff

  Ensure staff know and understand business policies and procedures

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  Review insurances

  Check your insurance and finances are adequate to cover risks

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  Conduct emergency drills

  Do regular emergency drills with staff, customers and guests and document in your plan

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  Report incidents

  Know how to report legally notifiable incidents

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  Wellbeing and safety

  Offer support to any impacted staff

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  Communicate

  Communicate the steps you've taken to resolve the emergency and prevent it reoccurring

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  Promote your business

  Develop marketing strategies to promote positive news

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  Recovery planning

  Record lessons learned and update policies, plans and staff training

Complete a business continuity plan (includes an emergency plan) to help you prepare, respond and recover from a workplace accident, serious injury, incident or crisis.

Prepare or update your emergency plan – you have a legal responsibility as a PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking) to ensure there is an emergency plan prepared for your workplace.

Steps to include in your plan:

• identify the key emergencies most likely to occur and that would have the most negative impact on your business
• prepare a risk management plan (part of your business continuity plan) to prevent or reduce key risks
  • create or review business policies, procedures and standards
  • check you are meeting your workplace health and safety obligations including laws, regulations and codes of practice
  • train staff to ensure they know and understand business policies and procedures
  • review your insurance cover
  • review ordering, booking and cancellation policies – consider goodwill measures such as refunds
  • check your financial reserves and emergency financial measures
  • back up your data on external or cloud storage
  • learn how to protect your business's information technology (IT) systems, online business activity and customer data
• plan how to respond if emergencies do occur
• identify staff emergency roles and responsibilities
• share team contact details
• record customer, supplier, insurer and emergency contacts
• identify and record local emergency alerts and contact channels
• prepare an emergency kit
• create a business emergency evacuation plan and procedures (e.g. identify assembly points, assign roles, shutting down operations process)
  • use the emergency plan fact sheet from Safe Work Australia to prepare your plan
  • appoint first aid officers and provide training
  • conduct regular emergency drills with staff, visitors, customers and/or guests and document in your plan
• create an event log to record information, decisions, actions and 'before and after' damage photos for insurance purposes
• plan how to recover from an incident
  • identify alternate off-site locations and introduce ways for staff to work remotely
  • explore alternative stock or equipment suppliers if supplies are disrupted.

• Learn how to create a safe workplace.
• Download a hazard identification checklist (PDF, 32KB).
• Read about safety and prevention in the workplace.
• Read more about your workplace health and safety obligations.
• Visit WorkSafe Queensland for information and resources to keep your workplace safe, including
  • first aid and emergency plans
  • what to do in an emergency
  • incidents and notifications
  • hazard identification checklist (PDF, 32KB)
  • safety and prevention information, tools and resources
  • small business mental health
  • business and employer responsibilities for the health and safety of yourself, workers, visitors, clients and volunteers.

• Plan how you'll manage a power failure, including:
  • temporary power options (e.g. a generator)
  • alternative premises
  • storing goods requiring electricity.
• Consider alternate suppliers or delivery routes if major infrastructure or transport routes are disrupted.
• Read more about preparing for supply chain disruptions.
• Check your ABC local radio, local council website and council's disaster dashboard, or see disasters and alerts for any transport disaster updates and road, airstrip or port closures.

• Learn more about premises security and crime prevention.

• Learn how to manage environmental risks and other climate risks to your business.

In an emergency, phone Triple Zero (000) and follow emergency services' advice to evacuate if required:

• keep staff and customers safe
• collect your emergency kit
• secure business premises, stock and equipment, information, records and data (if you have time).

If a workplace accident occurs:

• phone Triple Zero (000) immediately
• give first aid (if safe to do so)
• don't touch or move anything unless it's to give first aid or stop further injury or property damage
• notify:
  • Workplace Health and Safety Queensland or the Electrical Safety Office
  • WorkCover Queensland or your workers' compensation insurer
  • Queensland Building and Construction Commission.

Report any suspicious behaviour or extremist activities to the National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400. This could include:

• unusual purchases of large quantities of fertiliser, chemicals or explosives
• unusual filming of official buildings or critical infrastructure.

Learn more about responding to negative social media or media coverage relating to the incident.

• Continue to monitor the situation and follow emergency services or authorities' advice.

• Communicate regular updates to staff:
  • prepare key messages to pass on to customers
  • look after staff wellbeing and mental health.
• Communicate with customers, suppliers and distributors:
  • advise them of any changes to your business operations
  • update your website and social media about the situation and any changes to your business operations.

• Find out what help is available when someone dies at work, including free grief and trauma counselling sessions at Work Safe Queensland.
• Offer support to staff if they have been affected – use the wellbeing and mental health resources available.
• Keep staff informed about the next steps.
• Consider ways to boost staff morale.

• Use your business continuity plan to assess your business operations.
• Consider what your back-up or alternative re-opening options might be, including:
  • using alternative premises (e.g. home, library, suppliers)
  • buying or hiring equipment
  • contracting out work
  • reduce hours
  • providing limited services or products
  • selling online only
  • compare your prices to competitors.

• Assess how the emergency has affected your earnings and/or profit.
• Forecast cashflow over the coming months and year.
• Contact your bank, creditors and debtors to discuss options.
• Contact the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to fast-track your refund, delay lodgement obligations or request more time to pay debts.
• Contact your insurance company before you start cleaning up. Some policies fund clean-ups and require authorisation before repairs begin.
• Access small business support services to get back on track, including the Mentoring for Growth program.
• Check if you can apply for business grants from the Queensland Government.
• Find out about business assistance, grants and support from the Australian Government.
• Get free financial counselling support from small business financial counsellors and rural financial counsellors.

• Read about suggested key messaging to stakeholders.
• Provide affected staff or customers with information and contact details for support services.
• Keep customers and suppliers updated about your business operations and how or when to fill orders or bookings.
• Answer emails promptly, thank people for support and log customer phone calls.
• Celebrate and let people know about your recovery steps, milestones or successes.

• Update your business continuity plan and business policies and procedures.
• Record lessons learned from your business recovery (e.g. adequacy of insurance policies, emergency planning, IT, accounting and record-keeping systems).
• Review and update your emergency plan and procedures.
• Schedule regular emergency evacuation drills and provide appropriate training for staff.

• We are saddened to confirm that a (staff member/visitor/client/guest) was (injured/killed) in an incident today.
• We are devastated by this accident and our thoughts are with them, their families and those who witnessed the incident.
• We take the safety of our staff/guests/customers very seriously and we are working closely with authorities.
• We are working closely with authorities and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland to assist in any way we can.
• We have suspended our operations/tours and will work with authorities to determine when we will re-open.
• We would like to thank emergency services for their immediate response.

• Our thoughts are with the individuals affected and their families.
• Our priority is allowing emergency services to do their job.
• We are working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure the safety of our (staff, customers and/or guests).
• Authorities are well prepared to handle events like this, so please follow any directions they make.

Contact your bank

• Ask your bank about financial hardship options, for example:
  • changing loan terms
  • temporarily pausing or reducing repayments
  • deferring repayments and interest payments (all missed payments and interest will need to be repaid)
  • waiving fees and charges
  • consolidating your debt
  • finance to help cover cash flow shortages
  • deferring upcoming credit card payments
  • increasing emergency credit card limits
  • waiving early termination fees to access term deposits.
• Provide loan details (account name and number, payment amounts) and an overview of your financial situation.
• Request a hardship variation by using the sample letter generator from the Financial Rights Legal Centre to send to your bank.
• Your bank must advise you within 21 days about your hardship request. If you can't negotiate a variation, you can:
  • contact the bank's internal dispute resolution team
  • visit the Australian Financial Complaints Authority or phone 1800 931 678 to make a complaint, and get free advice and independent dispute resolution.

Contact utility providers

• Contact your utility providers' hardship team about electricity, gas, phone or water bill payment options.

• Contact your insurer – if you are not covered for the emergency situation, find out if you can make a claim under your business interruption or income protection insurance.
• Contact the Insurance Council of Australia (phone 1800 734 621) if you have questions about your policy or don't know who your insurer is.
• Check if your insurance policy:
  • funds clean-ups
  • requires authorisation before repairs begin
  • provides emergency or advance funds for wages or recovery activities
• Gather all information about the claim:
  • complete an event log
  • items to claim and when purchased
  • equipment, furniture you've had to throw away
  • photo and/or video evidence.
• Make a claim and resolving issues:
  • lodge claim as soon as possible – don't wait for a full damage assessment before making a claim
    • insurers must fast track a claim if you can demonstrate 'financial need' (read item 64 of the General Insurance Code of Practice) – if the insurer agrees, an advance payment must be made within 5 days
    • your insurer must inform you of their decision within 10 business days of receiving your claim
  • contact the Australian Financial Complaints Authority on 1800 931 678 if you can't reach agreement with your insurer
  • phone Legal Aid Queensland on 1300 651 188 if you need information and advice on how to get a claim paid.