Preparing your business for an emergency

• Visit WorkSafe Queensland for information and resources to keep your workplace safe, including
  • first aid and emergency plans
  • what to do in an emergency
  • incidents and notifications
  • hazard identification checklist (PDF, 32KB)
  • safety and prevention information, tools and resources
  • small business mental health
  • business and employer responsibilities for the health and safety of yourself, workers, visitors, clients and volunteers.
• Learn about personal safety in the workplace.
• Read more about your workplace health and safety obligations.

• Plan for loss of power, for example buy/lease a generator, relocate your business to other premises or find alternative storage for goods requiring electricity.
• Plan alternate suppliers or delivery routes if major infrastructure or transport routes are disrupted.
• Read more about supply chain disruptions.
• Check your ABC local radio, local council website, and council's disaster dashboard, or see disasters and alerts for any transport disaster updates and road, airstrip or port closures.

• Learn how to protect your business from biosecurity threats.
• Read more about what to do during a pest or disease outbreak.
• Use Farm Biosecurity's resources and templates, biosecurity best practice checklist (PDF, 185KB) and create your own biosecurity kit in your industry.

• Learn how to manage environmental risks and other climate risks to your business.
• Find out about the drought and climate adaption program from the Queensland Government.

Workplace emergency

• Phone Triple Zero (000) and follow emergency services' advice.
• Keep staff, visitors and customers safe.
• Activate your emergency plan and assign emergency roles.
• Collect your emergency kit.
• Secure business premises, stock and equipment, information, records and data if there's time.

Workplace accident or medical incidents

• Phone Triple Zero (000) and follow emergency services' advice.
• Give first aid if it's safe to do so.
• Don't touch or move anything unless it's to give first aid or stop further injury or property damage.
• Notify Workplace Health and Safety Queensland or the Electrical Safety Office.
• Notify WorkCover Queensland or your workers' compensation insurer.

Notifiable biosecurity incidents

Report all notifiable biosecurity incidents immediately to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (Biosecurity Queensland) on 13 25 23 . Examples of notifiable incidents may include:

• animal health and diseases – including emergency diseases, blisters on the mouth or feet of stock and abnormally high mortality rates in animals or plants)
• plant pests and diseases – including weeds that may be new to Australia, unexpected crop failures, a sudden and unexplained fall in production
• pest ants, including fire ants, report to 13 25 23 or complete the online fire ant yard check form
• contaminants (e.g. heavy metals, asbestos, residual organochlorine pesticides or pathogenic bacteria) above a prescribed threshold.

Suspicious behaviour or extremist activities

Report suspicious behaviour or extremist activities immediately to the National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400. Suspicious behaviour can include:

• unusual purchases of large quantities of fertiliser, chemicals or explosives
• unusual filming of official buildings or critical infrastructure
• suspicious vehicles near significant buildings or busy public places
• unattended bags.

• Continue to monitor the situation and follow emergency services or authorities' advice.
• Learn more about responding to negative social media or media coverage.

• Find out what help is available when someone dies at work, including free grief and trauma counselling sessions at Work Safe Queensland.
• Offer support to staff if they have been affected.
• Consider ways to boost staff morale.
• Keep your staff up-to-date on changes to your workplace and business operations.
• If you have to temporarily close your business or reduce operations, consider how you will manage your staff during this time. Make sure you're aware of your legal obligations as an employer, especially if you plan to:
  • stand down staff
  • ask staff to take paid or unpaid leave
  • assign staff to different roles or locations
  • end employment.
• Learn more about employment entitlements during natural disasters and emergencies from the Fair Work Ombudsman.

• Use your business continuity plan to assess your business operations.
• Consider what your back-up or alternative re-opening options might be, including:
  • using alternative premises (e.g. home, library, suppliers)
  • buying or hiring equipment
  • contracting out work
  • reduce hours
  • providing limited services or products
  • selling online only
  • compare your prices to competitors.
• Replace destroyed equipment, stock, records and documents.
• Review and update your business continuity plan and emergency plan and procedures.

Review your finances

• Contact your accountant to:
  • identify how long you can operate with reduced or no revenue
  • identify how long you can continue to pay staff and creditors before your business would be trading insolvently
  • identify if or when you would need to lay off staff
  • develop a plan to pay creditors on payment plans where possible.
• Taking stock of your business is CPA Australia's kit to help you assess your financial position.
• Learn more about managing cash flow and debtors.

Get financial help

• Check if you can apply for business grants or use the Queensland Government Grants Finder.
• Find out about business assistance, grants and support from the Australian Government.
• Get free financial counselling support from small business financial counsellors and rural financial counsellors.
• Phone the Employer Assistance Helpline on 1300 731 988 – advice and support if your business has been forced to close or reduce operations from the Business Chamber Queensland.
• Learn about extending state tax and royalty payments from Queensland Treasury.

Contact your bank

• Ask your bank about financial hardship options, for example:
  • changing loan terms
  • temporarily pausing or reducing repayments
  • deferring repayments and interest payments (all missed payments and interest will need to be repaid)
  • waiving fees and charges
  • consolidating your debt
  • finance to help cover cash flow shortages
  • deferring upcoming credit card payments
  • increasing emergency credit card limits
  • waiving early termination fees to access term deposits.
• Provide loan details (account name and number, payment amounts) and an overview of your financial situation.
• Request a hardship variation by using the sample letter generator from the Financial Rights Legal Centre to send to your bank.
• Your bank must advise you within 21 days about your hardship request. If you can't negotiate a variation, you can:
  • contact the bank's internal dispute resolution team
  • visit the Australian Financial Complaints Authority or phone 1800 931 678 to make a complaint, and get free advice and independent dispute resolution.

Contact utility providers

• Contact your utility providers' hardship team about electricity, gas, phone or water bill payment options.

• Contact your insurer – if you are not covered for the emergency situation, find out if you can make a claim under your business interruption or income protection insurance.
• Contact the Insurance Council of Australia (phone 1800 734 621) if you have questions about your policy or don't know who your insurer is.
• Check if your insurance policy:
  • funds clean-ups
  • requires authorisation before repairs begin
  • provides emergency or advance funds for wages or recovery activities
• Gather all information about the claim:
  • complete an event log
  • items to claim and when purchased
  • equipment, furniture you've had to throw away
  • photo and/or video evidence.
• Make a claim and resolving issues:
  • lodge claim as soon as possible – don't wait for a full damage assessment before making a claim
    • insurers must fast track a claim if you can demonstrate 'financial need' (read item 64 of the General Insurance Code of Practice) – if the insurer agrees, an advance payment must be made within 5 days
    • your insurer must inform you of their decision within 10 business days of receiving your claim
  • contact the Australian Financial Complaints Authority on 1800 931 678 if you can't reach agreement with your insurer
  • phone Legal Aid Queensland on 1300 651 188 if you need information and advice on how to get a claim paid.

Consider who your business needs to communicate with during and after an emergency.

Key stakeholders may include:

• staff
• a regulatory body or agency
• customers, clients or guests
• suppliers and distributors
• an industry body.

To communicate to stakeholders:

• use social media channels and your website to get the message out widely
• keep customers, suppliers and stakeholders updated about your business operations
• answer emails promptly, thank people for their support and log customer phone calls
• celebrate and let people know about recovery steps, milestones, or successes.

• We are saddened to confirm that a (staff member/visitor/client/guest) was (injured/killed) in an incident today.
• We are devastated by this accident and our thoughts are with them, their families and those who witnessed the incident.
• We take the safety of our staff/guests/customers very seriously and we are working closely with authorities.
• We are working closely with authorities and Workplace Health and Safety Queensland to assist in any way we can.
• We have suspended our operations/tours and will work with authorities to determine when we will re-open.
• We would like to thank emergency services for their immediate response.

• Our thoughts are with the individuals affected and their families.
• Our priority is allowing emergency services to do their job.
• We are working closely with the relevant authorities to ensure the safety of our (staff, customers and/or guests).
• Authorities are well prepared to handle events like this, so please follow any directions they make.