Thank you to everyone who has been following Gibson's #DisasterReady story. Our journey officially began in September 2014. Don't get me wrong, we had things in the works. In fact, I was part of Gibson's "original" disaster recovery team. We built a 3-inch three ring binder of vital information that we finished in April 2008. We proudly placed those binders on the shelves of about 10 of our people who were identified as key in the event of a disaster. And then they sat. They sat there through a gas leak that evacuated our main location (as well as multiple city blocks), through winter storms that shut down the roads, and through a power outage that took several blocks in South Bend down for one of the busiest weekends of the year.

With power outages, don’t think if, think when.

We are all susceptible to power outages. In fact, Agility Recovery tells us that 70% of businesses will lose power sometime in the next 12 months. But are we prepared to respond and recover quickly from a disruption? Unfortunately most businesses are not.

The walls will fail; we just don’t know when they will fail. A rule to always remember about trenching.

Which is more likely to happen to your company this year: (a) damage to property covered by insurance or (b) a claim alleging improper employment practices such as discrimination?

Teenagers spend an average of nine hours each day “consuming” media, including social networking. The internet is a vast place, allowing students to say anything seemingly without consequences. This online activity often carries over into the physical world. In the past ten years, 9 out of 10 students who made online threats carried through with them—often at school.

So wouldn’t it make sense for schools to monitor students’ social media accounts? As with most things these days, the answer may not be as simple as you think. Is it ethical? Is it legal? Is it even effective? Those questions are beyond the scope of this blog. But we can address some foundational questions to further the conversation if your school is considering implementing a monitoring program.

Manufacturers have long been concerned with protecting their businesses from supply chain disruption. But this risk can apply well beyond the manufacturing industry. Business continuity risks exist for any organization working with third-party vendors. Think of all the vendors you work with. Phone, internet, subcontractors, suppliers, etc. If one of them had their own significant business interruption, how would it impact you?

Carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, rotator cuff injuries, muscle strains, and other work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as these can be prevented. By implementing ergonomic solutions in the workplace, you can help reduce the number and severity of work-related MSDs.

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones, can be useful and powerful tools for organizations. But this futuristic technology does come with its risks—crashes, injuries, and potentially liability for invasion of privacy. So before you use a drone, consider the risks involved and how to manage them.

Your risk management strategy should include safe operating procedures and adherence to local, state, and federal regulations. In particular, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released new UAS regulations. So when you’re ready to take flight, make sure you’re following these rules!

Disasters can happen to any business at any time. From severe weather and catastrophic events to power outages, gas leaks, and data breaches - disasters are diverse. Is your business prepared to respond?

For the first time since 1990, fines for OSHA violations have increased. The changes are effective as of August 1, 2016.