Tropical Cyclone Alfred is set to hit Queensland and NSW tonight, bringing destructive winds and flash flooding. Businesses in its path must act now.
"Extreme weather events are unavoidable in Australia, but preparation can reduce downtime, damage and financial loss," says Terence Daniel, general manager at PSS Distributors. “If your business operates in a cyclone-prone area, taking the right steps now ensures that it remains resilient, protecting infrastructure, employees and critical operations.”
Terrence shares nine critical steps businesses should take before the cyclone strikes:
- Secure outdoor assets: Loose signage, outdoor furniture and equipment can become dangerous projectiles in strong winds. Secure them properly or store them indoors.
- Clear gutters and drains: Blocked gutters and drainage systems can lead to water damage and flooding. Ensure all downpipes, stormwater drains and roof gutters are clear to allow proper water flow.
- Assess and reinforce building structures: Inspect roofs, windows and roller doors for vulnerabilities. Reinforce weak points to prevent structural damage in high winds.
- Review your emergency response plan: Ensure all employees are aware of safety protocols, evacuation procedures and emergency contacts. Assign key staff members to oversee storm preparations.
- Back up essential data: Protect important business records, customer data and financial information by ensuring backups are stored securely, preferably in the cloud or off-site.
- Protect critical infrastructure with a UPS backup systems: Power outages are common in extreme weather. Ensure essential business systems, such as security, IT servers, refrigeration and communication networks, are supported by a UPS backup battery to keep operations running.
- Review insurance Coverage: Confirm that your insurance policies cover storm-related damage and business interruptions.
- Ensure automated doors have emergency power: Shopping centres, fire stations, hospitals, schools and industrial facilities rely on automated and roller garage doors. For large-scale facilities like these, ensure you have a specialised backup battery system in place that is designed for garage doors in order to keep critical systems running during outages.
- Stay informed: Monitor real-time weather updates and emergency warnings from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) and local authorities. Keep communication lines open with employees and stakeholders.
“While the full impact of Cyclone Alfred remains uncertain, taking proactive measures now will help businesses reduce disruptions and recover more quickly once the danger has passed,” says Terrence.
-ENDS-
About us:
PSS Distributors is a leading Australian provider of power protection solutions, specialising in UPS systems designed to safeguard businesses and homes from the impact of power disturbances.
Contact details:
Georgia Madden
UR Digital