8 Office Organizing Tips to Prepare for a Disaster

As September is Disaster Preparedness Month, it’s the perfect time to review your office disaster plan and make sure that your staff knows what to do in case of an emergency. If you don’t have a plan in place, then now is the time to take action. Here are 8 office organizing tips from this Professional Organizer in NYC that you can use while creating and reviewing your disaster preparedness plan.

1. Consider using your voicemail system in your office to relay messages to your employees. Designate one specific number that they can call for updates in case of an emergency. This may/may not be an option depending on the type of emergency and type of phone system you have.

2. If you don’t already have them, install emergency lights that turn on when the power goes out. You can find these at building supply stores such as Lowe’s or Home Depot.

3. Make sure that you are using surge protectors and battery backup systems to keep your computer system protected in case you lose power.

4. Create a list of phone numbers, addresses, and emergency contact numbers for your staff and store it in the cloud. Share this with staff members who will be in charge of contacting people during a disaster.

5. Check in with your insurance agency and ask about specific precautions they would recommend for disasters that are more likely to happen in your geographical region. Make sure you know what is/isn’t covered in your current policy so that you can purchase additional coverage as needed.

6. Designate employees from each shift or from different teams to be part of a safety team. Allow them to be part of the planning process. Designate employees who can be safety coordinators and help make decisions in case of an emergency.

7. Prevent more damage by taking a look at the furniture in your office. Bolt tall bookcases to the wall, move large objects to lower shelves, and make sure that mirrors or picture frames are securely attached to the wall.

8. Regularly inspect smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. Schedule time to replace batteries at regular intervals.

These office organizing tips will help ensure that you have thought about and prepared for many of the possibilities if a disaster was to occur while you were at the office. It’s hard to remember what steps you need to take during an emergency, so it’s even more important to take the time now while your office and staff are safe to create a well thought out plan. Keeping in mind these 8 office organizing tips will ensure that you have prepared your office for whatever may happen.

Need more hands on tips for office organizing and disaster preparedness? Reach out to your Professional Organizer in NYC today!