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Business continuity planning is the creation and validation of a practiced logistical plan for how an organization will recover and restore partially or completely interrupted critical (urgent) functions within a predetermined time after a disaster or extended disruption. The logistical plan is called a business continuity plan.
In plain language, business continuity planning is working out how to stay in business in the event of disaster. Incidents include local incidents like building fires, regional incidents like earthquakes, or national incidents like pandemic illnesses.
Preparation and advanced planning can also reduce the likelihood and severity of chemical, biological, and radiological attack. However, it can be difficult for building managers to determine key vulnerabilities and prioritize implementation of mitigation strategies.
- Plan development and strategy considerations
- Risk Assessment
- Business impact review
- Contingency considerations
- Recovery strategy
- Plan development and implementation plan
- Testing, training, and maintenance
- Interim business continuity plans
- Incident control
There are a number of components in a continuity plan that must be carefully discussed, organized, and implemented to be effective. Each component is like a link in a chain, whereas if one is not sufficiently addresses the rest of the plan can fail. The plan must:
- Identify national and manmade disasters that could impact business
- Assign an emergency planning team
- Coordinate with others
- Identify critical operations, staff, and procedures
- Develop an evacuation plan with defined warning system and assembly site
- Establish shut down managers
- Shelter-in-place location
- Communications
- Cyber security
- Records backup
- Annual review
The recent Small Business Liability Relief and Brownsfields Revitalization Act sets forth as law specific eligibility conditions for achieving CERCLA liability protections known as "All Appropriate Inquiries." The ASTM Standard E 1527-05 demonstrates how to conduct "all appropriate inquiries into the previous ownership and uses of the site in accordance with generally accepted good commercial and customary standards and practices."
- Citing the environmental profession definition
- Proper interview process
- Filling in data gaps
What many stakeholders are not aware is that those infamous $800 Transaction Screen Process (sometimes referred to as "TSAs") provide a limited degree of due diligence.
If the purpose of the environmental site assessment is to qualify for one of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Landowner Liability Protections (LLPs), the TSA is NOT the practice that should be applied.
The goal of the TSA is to indentify potential environmental concerns and allows and doers not require the employment of an environmental professional. of course, if you need an environmental professional, our staff can assist in providing you affordable, comprehensive inspections and assessments. |
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