The Glasgow helicopter crash that killed 10 people highlights the importance of disaster recovery planning. While the crash site was sealed off for the investigation, digitizing documents allows staff to work remotely when physical access is restricted. Remote work also provides benefits like flexibility even without a disaster. Other incidents like fires have also blocked access to city center businesses, showing why data storage and remote access are crucial for continuity of operations.

1. @StoretecHull
www.storetec.net
Facebook.com/storetec
Storetec Services Limited
Glasgow Tragedy Shows Need for Disaster
Recovery
The tragedy of the police helicopter crash in Glasgow may cause
questions to arise about the safety of such aircraft – but it could also
provide a reminder of the value of remote working.
Following the incident on Friday night – when the aircraft plunged into
the Clutha Vaults pub on the banks of the Clyde in the city centre –
rescuers sealed off the area.

2. As with any major incident, there were good reasons for doing so. This
included providing more space for emergency services to work in, the
safety of the public and the importance of facilitating information
gathering by air crash investigators, who must work out why the failure
of the helicopter's engines reported by eyewitnesses took place.
While the worst consequences by far will have been borne by those
killed or injured and their families, a major incident can also lead to
business disruption when workers are unable to access their offices.
Other examples could include a fire in an adjacent building.

3. All this will mean that the actual work premises might suffer no direct
harm, but still be inaccessible. The situation will, however, be made
worse if disaster strikes in the building itself.
One way a company can limit the consequences of such problems is
through the digitisation of its data, which may then be stored and
accessed remotely. This means that staff will be able to get to the data
even if they cannot get into the office.

4. Such a move can also have additional benefits. It can enable work to
be carried out anytime and anywhere, with remote working and flexible
hours also being more possible. The benefits will also be felt when
there are more general problems keeping people out of the office, such
as epidemics or severe weather.
Another case of part of a city centre becoming inaccessible was an
incident in Birmingham in October, when a fire on New Canal Street led
to the road being sealed off, preventing staff reaching businesses in
the vicinity.

5. Storetec News/Blogs."http://www.storetec.net/newsblog/glasgow-tragedy-shows-need-for-disaster-recovery".
Glasgow tragedy shows need for disaster recovery. December 2,
2013. Storetec.

6. Storetec News/Blogs."http://www.storetec.net/newsblog/glasgow-tragedy-shows-need-for-disaster-recovery".
Glasgow tragedy shows need for disaster recovery. December 2,
2013. Storetec.