The Far North Queensland (FNQ) region is susceptible to natural disasters. Floods, cyclones, and severe storms are all common occurrences, posing a significant threat to businesses.
You can neither prevent them nor can you eliminate their impact, but you can significantly reduce downtime and financial losses through effective disaster planning and recovery. This article explains the importance of disaster recovery planning for businesses, in light of Queensland’s Disaster Management Act 2003.
The Disaster Management Act
Queensland’s Disaster Management Act 2003 (QDMA) establishes a framework for coordinated disaster management efforts across Queensland, covering the following grounds:
Prevention
This involves proactive measures to reduce the likelihood and impact of disasters, including community education, land use planning, and infrastructure development.
Preparedness
This entails planning and preparation for disasters, including the development of emergency plans, training personnel, and stockpiling essential supplies.
Response
This involves coordinated efforts to manage a disaster during its occurrence, including search and rescue, evacuation, and provision of essential services.
Recovery
This focuses on rebuilding and restoring communities and infrastructure after a disaster, including rehabilitation, reconstruction, and economic recovery.
Effective Business Disaster Recovery Planning
While the QDMA provides the overarching legal framework for disaster management in Queensland, businesses need to elaborate specific strategies and actions to minimise the impact of a disaster and ensure continuity of operations.
Start by conducting a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) to identify critical business functions and the potential impact of a disaster on each function, which are crucial for developing effective recovery strategies.
Based on your BIA, outline the steps your business should take to respond to and recover from a disaster. A Disaster recovery Plan (DRP) can improve disaster response by addressing issues like data backup, communication protocols, evacuation procedures, and business continuity strategies.
You may also be required to:
1. Join Local Disaster Management Groups
Businesses may be required to participate in local disaster management groups. This involvement helps coordinate efforts and resources during a disaster.
2. Comply with Directives
During a disaster, businesses must comply with directives from disaster management groups and authorities. This ensures a coordinated and effective response.
3. Collaborate for Community Resilience
Businesses are encouraged to contribute to community resilience by collaborating with local authorities and other stakeholders in disaster preparedness and recovery efforts.
Key Considerations of a Disaster Recovery Plan
Aside from the BIA, a DRP must address the following aspects:
Critical Systems and Data Identification
This involves identifying the key systems and data essential for your business operations. These elements should be prioritised in your backup and recovery strategies.
Recovery Strategies
Your DRP should outline the specific steps to be taken and disaster recovery solutions to be implemented to recover from a disaster. This may involve restoring data from backups, restarting critical systems, and resuming normal business operations.
Testing and Maintenance
Regularly testing your DRP ensures its effectiveness in a real-world scenario. You should also conduct routine maintenance on your backup systems and UPS units to ensure they are in optimal condition. IT disaster recovery services experts recommend testing your DRP at least annually.
Reduce the Impact of Outages with Power Protection
Natural disasters often result in power outages. Investing in reliable power protection solutions can greatly cushion the impact of a disaster. Using an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) is a very practical way to do that.
Reduce Downtime and Ensure Business Continuity
A UPS system can prevent data loss and equipment damage, minimise downtime, and ensure business continuity. It can provide temporary battery power during outages, so you can:
- Have enough time for a safe and controlled shut down of critical systems
- Maintain essential operations of servers, communication equipment, and security cameras
- Facilitate a smooth and quicker recovery after a disaster
A Sustainable Solution for Upgrading Your UPS
For businesses who want to upgrade their old UPS system (from any manufacturer and condition), the APC Trade-UPS Program is a sustainable and cost-effective solution. You can help reduce e-waste through free recycling and proper disposal of hazardous batteries according to EPA standards. The program allows for upgrades to larger models with up to four times the power capacity, with a three-year warranty on new units.
Don’t Wait Until Disaster Strikes: Get Prepared Today
Taking proactive steps in disaster preparedness is crucial for Queensland businesses. By developing a comprehensive DRP and investing in power protection solutions, you can significantly minimise the impact of natural disasters and ensure business continuity.
Ask us about disaster recovery and IT business continuity services today.
GET IN TOUCH