Do not let such press articles create increased anxiety within your organization – rather use them as a means to prevent complacency, promote awareness and to ensure that all Pre-Season preparations are either, fully completed or, near to completion.

We cannot stop Hurricanes, but we can mitigate against their worst effects and thereby, ensure the maximum potential for protection of staff and continuity of the business processes.

Include some questions that you should pose (rhetorically) to your organization/company:

a. Is there a clear Crisis/Emergency Management structure, including a Crisis Management Team (CMT)?

b. Is the CMT empowered to make and implement “across the board” executive decisions in times of crisis and emergency – do they truly “lead” the organization/company?

c. Does the CMT have a record/history of issuing clear and unambiguous directives and instructions?

d. Does the CMT issue regular, informative staff updates on the developing crisis/emergency?

e. Does “anarchy” prevail throughout the organisation/company with a variety of interpretations gleaned from a spectrum of differing sources?

Ideally, the answers should be “YES” to a – d and “NO” to e – if this is not the case, then your organization/company lacks some critical “components” and, is certainly flirting with potentially disastrous failure in the event of a crisis/emergency.

BIC Staff stand by ready to provide expert assistance for all your Business Continuity Planning and Management requirements.

Whilst not accusing any business or person of complacency, the lack of any significant damage (in the Cayman Islands) from a Hurricane over the past few years, may have lessened the priority of Hurricane Planning & Preparation in the face of more urgent business drivers. Nevertheless, I urge you all to start (if you have not already done so) your Hurricane Season Inspections and Preparations without delay – you have a month!

In all your preparation work, including Crisis Management Procedures, do NOT forget that your staff are the life blood of your business – without them, the strongest buildings, the most effective Data Replication and restoration, the most advanced communications, all become impressive but relatively meaningless tokens.

The staff and resources of Brac Informatics Centre (BIC) are ready and able to asist you with a wide range of business solutions, Continuity and Contingency planning, training, mitigation assessment, as well as an effective, comprehensive, reliable and timely Hurricane Notification/Advisories system.

I am going to examine the provision of stand-by power by means of emergency generators – future articles will address UPSs and Surge Suppression etc.

Following the ravages of Hurricane Ivan and subsequent “brushes”, “near misses” and “false alarms” many companies that did not previously have generators, have now had them installed – this is only the first step.

Obviously, any company that own a generator expect it to start automatically when Mains Power fails; however, like most electrical and mechanical equipment, regular maintenance and testing is required to ensure prime performance as and when required. This maintenance and testing applies to not only the electrical and mechanical components of the generator and associated Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS), but also to the Fuel Supply.

It is absolutely vital that any generator provided for the provision of stand-by power, is maintained in accordance with the Manufacturer’s guidance – ideally, on at least a monthly basis by either, a professional agency with qualified personnel or, suitably qualified personnel from within your own company. Such maintenance will essentially check:

Fuel, Lubricants & Coolant levels
Fuel & Coolant hoses, valves & connections
Fuel, Oil, Air & Coolant filters
Belts
Engine & ATS settings
Batteries & Battery Charger
All Start up & Shut Down functions
Engine, Fuel Tank & ATS Alarm functions
Fuel Heater
Integrity of Fuel Tank & associated Safety devices such as Gauges, Alarms & Vents
Cleanliness of Diesel Fuel

Additionally, the generator should be run on a regular basis. During “non-Hurricane Season” months, the stand-by power generator at BIC is tested on a weekly “exercise run” for 1-2 hours – every second week for 2 hours “under load” i.e. providing power to your company infrastructure and the other 2 weeks “not under load” for 1 hour. During Hurricane Season, this frequency “under load” is increased to 4 per month. Also, in the event of a suspected Tropical Storm or Hurricane approaching the Cayman Islands, we do a 4 hour run “under load” 2-3 days prior to forecast landfall of the storm. Sadly, I have both seen and heard of companies who singularly failed to “exercise” their generators – especially “under load” and then seemed to be somewhat surprised when the system did not work as designed. Bottom line – you have to test run your generator “under load” on a regular basis otherwise there is a high likelihood that failures will occur when you actually need your generator for what may be extended periods.

In the event of extended generator running in emergencies, I would recommend at least a daily check of systems, liquid levels and components – DO NOT LET YOUR GENERATOR RUN OUT OF FUEL!

I would also recommend holding a stock of spares for the Generator – these should include all Filters, critical Hoses and Belts.  The most likely “high use” spares in the event of extended generator use are Fuel and Oil Filters and you would not be remiss in holding extra stocks of these items during Hurricane Season.  Remember, however, to store perishable items such as Hoses and belts in suitable conditions i.e. essentially not exposed to direct sunlight or high heat levels.

Finally, I will turn to the subject of Diesel fuel.  One of the most common causes of generator failures is “dirty” fuel – more specifically the presence of water or particles/sludge in the Diesel fuel and, therefore, regular maintenance and checks of Diesel fuel and the fuel tank are essential to ensure effective generator operation. In the Cayman Islands, the most significant risk to Diesel fuel is from the prevalent temperature and humidity levels. Simply put, any moist air inside the Diesel tank will result in some accumulation of water. The interface layer of the Diesel fuel and any water present provides an ideal “breeding ground” for the formation of certain types of microbes, especially in warm conditions. These microbes can eventually clog Fuel Feed Hoses and Engine Injectors to the extent that the generator may either, fail to start or, will not run smoothly.

The best way to combat water in Diesel fuel is to minimize the entry of any water into the fuel tank – Water Detection Paste is readily available and, at BIC, we insist of carrying out a Water Detection check of a Delivery Truck sample before any Diesel fuel is transferred into the Fuel Tank. Additionally, we carry out regular Water Detection checks of fuel tank contents as part of our maintenance cycle. The last in place defence mechanism is the use of high quality Water Separation Filters (Racor) to eliminate any water in the fuel prior to entering the Engine Injector system. Ideally, you should have 2 such Filters installed in parallel isolated lines, to enable cleaning of one filter without the need to shut down the generator.

It is always advisable to try and turn over (consume) and replenish your Diesel fuel regularly; however, if this is not economically feasible, there are companies on the Cayman Islands who have the appropriate mobile equipment to “scrub” your fuel supply i.e. circulate it through an external Water Separator Filter trolley. Additionally, it is recommended that you keep Diesel fuel tanks topped up at all times to minimize the presence of moist air in the fuel tank.

There are Biocides available that will kill any microbe colonies in Diesel fuel; however, be advised that the dead microbes form a sludge at the bottom of the fuel tank which will require removal at some stage and, microbes can build up a resistance to a particular biocide so you will have to try a different brand – personally, I try to avoid the use of such Diesel fuel treatment biocides unless there is not other alternative.

In conclusion and simply put – if you maintain, check and run your generator, ATS and fuel supply on a regular basis and in accordance with manufacturer’s guidance, performance will be as advertised and you will have that critical stand-by power supply in the event of Mains Power failures.

However, how many people are truly aware of the severe, debilitating effects that stress may cause both to individuals and also to the overall resilience of any team or organisation facing a crisis.

Stress is “an automatic biological response, our body has in order to increase our chance of survival” and is often triggered when we face: a possible threat, something new or, something unexpected.

We all, to varying degrees (on an individual basis) become used to a level of stress in our lives – examples may be bad traffic on the way to work, a work deadline to meet, tensions at home – there are innumerable examples. Very often, these “basic” levels of stress can, by means of a biological reaction in our bodies, spur us on to either, greater efforts or, levels of achievement and, over a period of time, the actual feelings of stress generated by such events can decrease. What is important to realize, however, is that stress can be “cumulative” – very similar to stretching a rubber band – a little bit of stretch and all is fine – but slowly keep on stretching that rubber band and we can reach a serious stage where there is a very fine line between either, being under incredible stress for long periods of time or, snapping.

As stress levels increase, we can become more excitable, nervous, anxious or irritable. In turn, these symptoms can reduce our abilities to work effectively with other people, execute precise, controlled skills or make fine judgments. Certainly, traits that we do not want to see or experience when our team, organisation or company face or are in the midst of a crisis.

If increasing levels of personal stress are not recognised by ourselves and/or those we work with, then “burnout” can occur – essentially “I cannot cope any more”. In more severe cases, especially those left untreated, “Post Traumatic Stress Disorder” may set in and not manifest itself (in often devastating fashion) for days, months or even years and, can be triggered by a sight, sound, smell or memory .

There are too many signs and symptoms of stress to describe in this Blog but one main one is “frequent displays of erratic, abnormal, unusual behaviour patterns linked with an increasing inability to concentrate or perform required tasks in an effective manner”. If in times of increased stress, you recognise such signs in yourself or other fellow workers, it may be time for a “break”.

It is helpful if a person has learned “coping mechanisms” (to deal with increasing stress) such as quiet time out listening to music, going for a run or a swim, talking to other people etc. If you know what your “coping mechanisms” are then you should tell your fellow workers/team members – your own “quiet time out” being interrupted by someone who is always enquiring about your well being may just add to the stress as opposed to reduce it!

It is vital to provide assistance to those who are obviously under high levels of stress and are either, close to or have already reached “burnout” levels. At the lower end of the spectrum, such assistance may be a “team talk” but at the higher and top end of the spectrum, professional counseling may be required – There is NO shame in seeking advice or assistance for stress.

I include a chapter on Stress in all Business Continuity and Contingency Plans that I produce as a means of helping to teach the often severe effects of stress, together with the signs/symptoms of increasing stress levels. Importantly, I also hope to reinforce the message that “People are your best Asset”.

Regardless of the category of crisis, a principal factor in how a company faces the problem is effective Crisis Management. A critical component of Crisis Management is clear, unambiguous, two-way communication and information exchange along pre-determined lines of communication between the Crisis Management Team (CMT) and assigned work teams.

A severe crisis normally leaves little room for unilateral, uncoordinated actions – indeed such actions could be counterproductive to the overall resilience of a company. A mass of conflicting information and communications will, inevitably lead to confusion and, perhaps, a break-down of effective leadership and direction.

During a few impending Hurricanes, I have personally witnessed the authority of a number of CMTs being undermined because staff members spent valuable time accessing a variety of Hurricane related web sites – often with conflicting interpretations – staff began to second-guess the CMTs and rumours started to run rife – as a result, the CMTs had to waste valuable time (in often rapidly diminishing timescales) getting company actions back on track.

The CMT (in those companies that have them) are usually appointed by senior management to direct company actions in the face of a crisis – in effect, during a crisis the CMT are the “leaders” of that company and, simply put – “what they say – goes”.

The most efficient communications tend to be simple and in-line with pre-determined plans and associated training. A prime example would be a CMT instructing a team to complete a series of action checklists to a deadline – the simple responses are, initially, an acknowledgement of the instruction followed, in the course of time, by a confirmation that either, the required action checklists have been completed or, certain specified elements of the action checklist remain to be completed – few words, straight forward delegation of responsibility and subsequently, confirmation.

Over the course of years, the BIC Business Continuity Planning team has developed a comprehensive Hurricane Advisory system that releases CMT members from the time consuming task of assessing the risks and timescales involved and provides the CMT with a regular, timely and detailed package that is easily disseminated to the staff of recipient companies. At a very early stage, the BIC team start to monitor any Tropical system (usually within the Caribbean Basin) that may pose a threat to the Cayman Islands – recipient companies are informed accordingly; therefore, from a very early stage, CMT members are aware that they have a responsible and experienced team “watching their backs”.

“I truly like the fact that BIC provide an early warning of any Storm system that may threaten us. The detail, clarity and frequency of BIC Tropical Storm/Hurricane Notices & Advisories enable management and staff to effectively concentrate on the wide scope of business and staff preparations to ensure full resilience and continuity in the event of a Tropical Storm/Hurricane approaching the Cayman Islands.

Alvaro Quintas Melero

MD, Unicorp Bank & Trust Ltd, Cayman Islands (Part of the Itau group)

The fact that I can rely on a single channel of information, that compiles information from agencies and government together with BICs own interpretation, is a significant benefit“

Alvaro Quintas Melero

MD, Unicorp Bank & Trust Ltd, Cayman Islands (Part of the Itau group)

“The BIC Hurricane advisory service is invaluable in ensuring that we are kept abreast with the most up-to-date information available, keeping our finger on the pulse as well as keeping our employees informed, to allow for the most preparation possible in the event of a threat.

Karen Kersey, VP Operations, dms Organization Ltd”

“Many receive advice, only the wise profit from it.” -  Publilius Syrus (1st century BC); Roman writer of mimes.

This increase in the number of forecast storms is due to rapidly diminishing El Nino effect and much higher than normal Atlantic Sea Surface Temperatures.

Additionally, the Gray/Klotzbach Team estimated a probability of 65% for at least one major hurricane to travel through the Caribbean – the norm to date has been 42%.

Please bear in mind that this information comprises a Forecast (which is by no means a precise science)  – it only takes one major storm, regardless of whether the Season is labeled “very active” or “quiet”, to have the potential to severely disrupt your businesses and your lives.”

Are your Company and Staff truly ready – has a degree of either, complacency set in or, given the pressing financial climes – perhaps some cost-cutting has been applied to crucial mitigation measures and plans?

If you have a Hurricane Plan – has it been updated from “Lessons Learned” and have you performed a drill/exercise to refresh the memories of Key Players?

In the worst case, like some Companies – unfortunately – you may NOT even have an appropriate Hurricane Plan.

Backed by an extensive range of expertise and experience, across a wide spectrum of Public and Private Sector Agencies and Companies, we stand ready to rapidly assist and/or advise you on how to be more resilient and sustainable in the face of Mother Nature, as well as providing all appropriate effort to aiding any recovery which may be required following a Hurricane.

“Chance favors the prepared mind.” Louis Pasteur (1822-1895); French Scientist.