Norwich Union Risk Services says flood contingency elements should be included in plan to minimise disruption
Following the publication of the Pitt review, Norwich Union Risk Services (NURS) have said that
Businesses should incorporate specific flood contingency elements in business continuity plans to minimise disruption and improve speed of recovery following a flood, according to Norwich Union.
The recent Pitt Review ino last summer's flood revealed that only 12% of businesses surveyed had actually taken measures to mitigate the effect of flooding.
Craig Begg, business interruption risk adviser for Norwich Union Risk Services (NURS), said: “According to the review take-up of flood-resistant and resilient measures, even in flood hit areas, is low. The Environment Agency says that businesses are more likely to be flooded than burned down."
NURS warned that businesses should ensure that continuity arrangements are supported by adequate insurance, stressing that the maximum indemnity period should be adequate to allow for a full recovery of the business. It said that in many instances a 12 month period has proved to be inadequate.
Begg suggested that business continuity plans should comprise three phases: risk mitigation, incident management and recovery actions.
NURS suggested a range of measures businesses can take, including moving electrical wiring and sockets to a higher level and obtaining emergency lighting and small generators.
