This document discusses the importance of effective emergency planning. It notes that over 60% of organizations have emergency plans, but only 62% meet standards and plans do not always work well in practice. Reasons for poor plan performance include lack of senior staff involvement, lists without direction, lack of training, and no refinement. Key elements that plans should include are roles and responsibilities of an emergency management team, potential activities needed, and instructions for responding to specific incidents. Regular training, testing, and updating are important for making emergency plans successful.

1. Effective Emergency
Planning
Emma Dadson, Harwell Document
Restoration Services

2. Introduction
 How common are incidents? POLL 1
Heritage at Risk study
Harwell’s experience
• Residual risk

3. Introduction
 How common are incidents? POLL 1
Heritage at Risk study
Harwell’s experience
• Residual risk
 Why do we need to plan?
Opportunity to limit damage
Primary damage, then secondary damage

4. Case study – Summer 2007

5. What are the benefits of
having a plan?
 Faster response
 Prompt
 Resilience
 Robust decision-making
 Circumvent problems in advance

6. When a plan isn’t enough…
 Heritage at Risk study
61% of organisations have an emergency
plan
 Preservation Advisory Centre Knowing the
Need
62% have a plan that meets standards
 Do all plans work well in practice?

7. When a plan isn’t enough
 Reasons for poor plan performance
Senior staff have no stake-holding in
content
Lists of information, no direction
• People don’t know what to do
No training / confidence
No scrutiny / refinement of plan

8. When a plan isn’t enough
 Reasons for poor plan performance
No financial plan
Impractical content
DIY response, regardless of scale

9. Key content
 What might you need to do?
 Dealing with disgruntled users / customers
 Catering and welfare for salvage staff
 Redeploying staff to help with salvage
 Salvage and removal of wet paper from a sewage flood
 Turning off stop cock
 Evacuation of staff and visitors
 Prioritisation of materials for removal / weeding
 Contacting sensitive depositors / owners / users
 Deciding to close your service for 2 days
 Updating your website to advise users
 Issuing a press release
 Organising security
 Diverting telephone lines
 Dealing with insurers

10. Key content
 Emergency management team
Roles, responsibilities, actions
 What activities might be required?

11. Key content
 Emergency management team
Roles, responsibilities, actions
 What activities might be required?
Co-ordination / admin
Salvage of collections
Business continuity
Building
 www.hdrs.co.uk/templateplan
 Training / engagement idea

12. Key content
 Instructions what to do
How would you respond if discovering an
escape of water?
How should you respond?

13. What should your plan contain?
 Contact lists
 Priority lists
 Floor plans
 Emergency equipment lists

14. What should your plan contain?
 Lists of suppliers
 Salvage guidance
 Forms (documentation; risk assessment)

15. Making your plan successful
 Integrate and dovetail
 User-friendly, but serious
 Scrutinise content – test and train
 Keep it updated

16. Case study – National
Library of Wales

17. Thank you
 Any questions?
 If I don’t have an opportunity to
answer your question now, please
email it to
emma.dadson@hdrs.co.uk