Prepare your BCM for winter blackouts, urges Zurich

Electricity and other sources of energy could become scarce in Europe this winter, and those without thorough plans face the threat of harsh conditions that impact their ability to operate. 

The UK’s National Grid has warned households to prepare for rolling three-hour blackouts in the “extreme” case of gas shortages and reduced electricity imports from the rest of Europe.

In a new whitepaper “Powered up: Avoiding the shock of an energy shortage with business continuity planning”, experts from Zurich Resilience Solutions provide advice for risk managers on how companies can strengthen their resilience against potential energy shortages in Europe through robust business continuity planning.

Jean-Pierre Krause, chief risk engineering officer, said: “Taking steps early to prepare for the eventuality of shortages is critical for businesses. It can help them develop the plans they need to keep their business open and pipelines of goods and services flowing.

”However, it is equally important that we all reduce energy consumption now. Every kilowatt hour of energy saved today helps to reduce the risk of a shortage.”

The whitepaper stresses the steps that businesses should consider to lessen the risk that a critical power shortage will affect their operations. That means businesses must analyse business processes, define vulnerabilities, develop procedures, implement plans and revise them when necessary.

Experience shows that exceptional situations are handled best with proactive measures that anticipate problems, allowing quick and effective action when challenges arise. 

In addition, the paper provides practical insights on actions businesses and their employees can take to conserve energy and notes that even small actions, when taken together, can lessen the strain on energy sources.