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BUSINESS CONTINUITY STRATEGIES

PROTECTING AGAINST UNPLANNED DISASTERS

3rd Edition

KENNETH N. MYERS

log

To Marcia

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kenneth N. Myers is an internationally recognized contingency planning specialist and educator. He has developed business continuity strategies for leading organizations in the United States, Europe, Mexico, and Puerto Rico. Mr. Myers developed the curricula and was the course leader for business continuity strategies to protect against unplanned disasters seminars for The Battelle Institute and The American Management Association and was called to consult with the largest tenant in the World Trade Center following its bombing. In this book, he presents a new contingency program paradigm reflecting the latest in contingency strategies development thinking as well as the impact of terrorism and workplace violence on business continuity needs. He is also the author of Manager’s Guide to Contingency Planning for Disasters: Protecting Vital Facilities and Critical Operations and Total Contingency Planning for Disasters: Managing Risk … Minimizing Loss … Ensuring Business Continuity.

PREFACE

The increase in terrorism and workplace violence has emphasized the need to develop business continuity strategies to protect against unplanned disasters.

Kenneth Myers, one of the foremost innovators and educators in contingency planning, presents a new contingency program paradigm urging boards of directors to take a proactive role in insisting organizations institutionalize policies aimed at preventing workplace violence. Mr. Myers documents employer workplace violence liabilities; describes the three stages of conduct prior to a workplace violence incident; and recommends supervisory training to prevent workplace violence.

Mr. Myers explains why many existing disaster recovery plans are inordinately detailed and too costly to fund and maintain. He also presents a methodology for transitioning to a contingency program that is more cost-effective and more realistic. He also describes why Human Resources is the discipline best positioned to develop and administer business contingency programs.

This book presents organizations that have multiple locations with a template for planning, developing, and administering contingency programs consistent in purpose, scope, strategy, and level of detail. It also provides guidelines and controls to contain development costs and to ensure low-cost interim processing strategies, consistent with the low probability of a disaster.

Mr. Myers also documents 30 recommendations by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) following an investigation of the collapse of the World Trade Center in New York City. These recommendations address: increased structural integrity; enhanced fire endurance; improved fire resistance; increased fire protection; improved emergency response; and improved evacuation procedures for mobility-impaired building occupants.