Page 50 - CIJ Feb 2024 Digital Edition

Facility ManageMent

Disaster Preparedness and Recovery:

The Role of Facility Managers

Disaster preparedness and recovery are critical
pillars of the facility management space
ensuring smooth operations of buildings
and infrastructure. Commercial, industrial,
or institutional facilities are vulnerable to

potential disasters like natural calamities,
technological failures, and other unforeseen
events. Adhiraj Gadgil, Senior Director -
Facilities, Admin, Procurement, CSR and CRE,
Harbinger Group shared his inputs with Clean
India Journal on the comprehensive measures
undertaken by facility managers to ensure
the safety of occupants & assets, mitigation of
damages and speedy recovery processes.

acility management is the and after a disaster. These plans include where facility managers assess the
backbone of an organization evacuation procedures, communication extent of damage to the facility and its
and facility managers, besides protocols, and strategies for safeguarding infrastructure. It involves working closely
looking after the day-to-day essential equipment and documents. with engineers, contractors, and insurance
Fmaintenance of buildings, are Facility managers must ensure regular assessors to determine the scope of
also responsible for developing and organization of training sessions and repairs needed and estimate the time
implementing comprehensive disaster drills through Emergency Response required for recovery.
preparedness & recovery plans (DRP). Team members to ensure that employees FM personnel are tasked with
Disaster preparedness broadly are well-prepared to respond effectively establishing temporary facilities to ensure
includes risk assessment, planning for to emergencies. These exercises help that essential functions can resume while
an emergency, preparedness training to improve the coordination and repairs are underway. This may involve
and drills, and collaboration with local communication among the employees, setting up temporary offices, securing
authorities. encouraging a culture of readiness and alternative power sources, and ensuring
responsiveness.
Facility managers should conduct the availability of critical resources for
thorough risk assessments to identify Facility managers establish strong uninterrupted operations.
potential vulnerabilities within a facility connections with local emergency FM staff play a crucial role in
and its immediate surroundings. This services such as the Fire department, allocating resources efficiently during
includes evaluating the structural Police, Medical, Ambulance, and other the recovery phase. This includes
integrity of buildings, assessing the civil authorities. Collaborating with these coordinating with procurement teams to
potential impact of natural disasters, and entities ensures a coordinated response acquire necessary materials, coordinating
identifying critical infrastructure that may during a disaster, with clear lines of with the engineering and IT teams,
be sensitive to damage. The necessary communication and mutual support to overseeing construction projects,
steps are designed by the managers to mitigate the impact on the facility and its and managing budgets to ensure a
reduce the severity of the incidence occupants. cost-effective and timely recovery.
by creating a backup plan for business Disaster recovery primarily covers They also liaise with stakeholders,
continuity. damage assessment, temporary backup including employees, tenants, and local
Based on the identified risk assessment, facilities/ DR sites, communication, and communities, providing regular updates
facility managers should develop and stakeholder engagement. on the progress of recovery efforts and
implement emergency plans that outline Damage assessment happens addressing concerns to maintain trust and
specific actions to be taken before, during, immediately following a disaster confidence.

FEBRUARY 2024•Clean India Journal
50 www.cleanindiajournal.com