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the entire company, with this highest level requiring the activation of a global crisis team. By choosing to simulate a level-three crisis in a drill, the widest group of depart- ments can be involved, resulting in a well- rounded and robust simulation.
2. Assume the Worst
Once everyone is well versed in the crisis management plan, it’s time to put that plan into action. Choose a scenario that has the potential to escalate rapidly and one that threatens not just the safety, health, and welfare of employees and neighbors, but also the welfare of the company itself.
When conceptualizing a level three cri- sis, consider scenarios that will bring in de- partments such as investor relations, public relations, customer service, and technical sales. Be creative. Your worst-case scenario might include a worldwide pandemic out- burst, or a massive computer virus, or a huge product liability incident.
After a theme for the crisis drill has been decided upon, create a robust sce- nario with varying levels of complexity to accompany it. Start the incident with an emergency that starts out small and then escalates to the company as a whole. For example, a shipping container full of plas- tic pellets capsized by a typhoon at a Hong Kong distribution center could result in widespread coastline damage, reputational harm, and potential cleanup liability. An explosion at your company’s most impor- tant manufacturing location could cause fatalities and environmental liability, but also it could cripple business and cause the company to miss shipments to customers for an extended timeframe.
Design a wide-ranging scenario that ensures that several cross-functional teams within the company are engaged in the drill and all affected personnel are aware of the potential risks involved in their line of work and equipped to handle a disaster should the unimaginable happen.
3. Be Realistic
Once a robust scenario has been concep- tualized, build out your idea with detail to add an element of realism. An explosion or loss of containment would undoubtedly attract significant media attention, so to simulate the quick, viral nature of a cata- strophic event, consider creating mock-up news stories with harsh headlines, as well as
simulated social media posts such as tweets and viral videos.
Be sure to incorporate legal, finan- cial, and public relations teams in the crisis drill—not just the EH&S depart- ment and chemical plant leaders—so that all branches are equipped to handle a company’s reputation stemming from a chemical crisis.
Depending on the severity of the crisis, companies may be required to file with fi- nancial authorities, such as an Form 8-K with the SEC to announce material events deemed worthy of stakeholder attention. Such disclosures might be accompanied by a news release and other communica- tions to investors and the company’s board of directors. These elements allow your drill participants to consider how the crisis could have an effect on stock prices.
Include line management of the busi- nesses, if possible, because in a major cri- sis, a company’s entire supply chain could also be affected. When a company is unable to produce or ship a product for a period of time, there could be a direct impact on customers. Customers that rely on inven- tory consistency may be forced to close if a catastrophic event prohibits them from receiving product. Because of this, logis- tics personnel also should be involved in a crisis drill to assess potential workarounds, such as producing or shipping from anoth- er facility or enlisting third-party vendors to temporarily transport goods or materials until the crisis is contained.
4. Enlist Your Leadership
Executive-level involvement is crucial in bringing a drill to fruition. Beyond EH&S leadership, public affairs, legal, financial, and logistics involvement emphasizes col- laboration when it comes time to mitigate a crisis. Further, when the CEO is personally invested in a crisis drill, it shows all levels of the organization that emergency response preparedness is a top priority.
The first 24 to 48 hours of managing a crisis are critical to protecting your workers and the community, as well as your brand and business operations. Involving every level of the organization, from the CEO down to the front-line engineer, in a drill en- sures all parties are invested in the program.
5. Evaluate Your Success
In order to fully maximize their efficacy,
evaluate your drills for valuable feedback and to identify areas of improvement. Holding a debriefing session immediately after a crisis drill is imperative. An honest and thorough assessment should be con- ducted with all parties involved in the drill to identify learnings in various areas, such as roles, actions, internal and external communications, overall crisis manage- ment, and the tools available in order to close any gaps, and mitigate the effects of an actual emergency.
A crisis drill and the resulting evalua- tion can yield valuable insight, such as the need for additional training, coaching, or staffing in certain areas to meet or exceed the requirements necessary for safe prac- tice. Ideally, organizations should conduct crisis drills annually to test a variety of scenarios and gather useful data on emer- gency preparedness processes from year to year, and to inform any updates to the crisis management handbook.
Drills of significant magnitude pro- vide employees with the opportunity to practice their crisis management skills, and they bring everyone together with the common goal of mitigating a disas- ter’s effects. Enlisting CEO and executive- level leadership and enacting a robust and all-encompassing global crisis drill on annual basis helps develop a culture of safety and empowerment among employ- ees. These drills teach valuable lessons in what the catastrophic effects can be when basic safety processes are overlooked or an accident occurs. They are a reminder that every employee is responsible for safeguarding employees, the community, and the environment in their daily work.
Catherine Maxey is vice president, public affairs, sustainability, and environment, health, and safety. for Trinseo (www.trin- seo.com, Berwyn, Pa.), a global materials solutions provider and a manufacturer of plastics, latex binders, and synthetic rub- ber. With more than 30 years of experience in the chemical industry, Maxey’s respon- sibilities include industry affairs, public policy, crisis management, corporate social responsibility, sustainability, and EH&S. She serves on the Editorial Advisory Board of Chemistry & Industry magazine, as well as the Board of Overseers for the Chemical Heritage Foundation.
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