Taranaki Blowout business advice

This page contains information and advice for businesses related to the fictional but realistic Taranaki Blowout eruption scenario.

Much of this advice could apply to any large-scale emergency, not just an eruption of Mt Taranaki.

The information on this page is presented according to the week-by-week Taranaki Blowout scenario. Scroll down the page or click on a link below to take you to a specific week.

Week 1

A slight increase in earthquake activity may or may not mean much. Still, it's a good idea to start thinking ahead:

Is your business in a volcanic hazard zone? Check the volcanic hazards map to find out.
Is your business and property at risk from volcanic hazards? Use our checklist to see if your business will get through. You can download it below as a PDF, or as a Word document for easy adaptation and editing.
Check your insurance cover to make sure it covers buildings, plant and equipment, livestock, crops and loss of income.

Farmers, scroll down for more information and advice that's relevant to you.

Downloads:	Links:
Business continuity checklist — PDF format (30 KB)	Volcanic hazards map
Business continuity checklist — Word format (154 KB)

Information and advice for farmers

Agriculture publication - download by clicking link at right. Click on the link below to download this MAF publication, which is aimed at the agriculture sector and has useful information and advice relating to volcanic eruptions. Farmers are advised to use this in conjunction with the business continuity checklists available on this page.

Volcanic eruption! Impacts and mitigation (840 KB)

For a discussion of insurance issues worth considering, click on the link below to read a commentary aimed at farmers.

Disaster insurance for the farm (Auld Brewer Mazengarb & McEwen)

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Week 2

The Volcanic Alert Level has been raised to 1 and although it's still unclear whether there will be volcanic activity, it's a reminder to business operators that you need to be prudent. Don't wait for an alert, take some action right now:

Check your emergency plans - do they cover all of the impacts in our checklist (see downloads below)?
Prepare an emergency plan if don't have one - our checklist will help you think about the impacts on your business.
Check that staff are prepared at home - staff prepared at home will be more effective at work during an emergency.
Make your premises quake-safe (see link below for advice that can be adapted to business premises) - get ready for earthquakes that will be associated with a volcanic eruption.

Downloads:	Links:
Business continuity checklist — PDF format (30 KB)	Quake-safe your premises
Business continuity checklist — Word format (154 KB)

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Week 3

The Volcanic Alert Level remains at 1 but events on the mountain are of growing public concern. It's time to think about your staff:

Meet with staff to make sure that everybody knows what is expected of them if an eruption should occur:
- What is your minimum staffing requirement?
- Who are essential staff that will be needed at work?
- Will there be any changes required to duties at work?
- Will non-essential staff be allowed to stay away from work?
- Will special child-care arrangements be required?

Other actions:

Plan to have enough supplies to keep your business going if transport links are interrupted.
Plan for changes in demand for your product or service.

Don't wait for an alert, take some action right now.

As a starting point, consider the points raised in the employment law article by lawyers Buddle Finlay (see link below).

Downloads:	Links:
Business continuity checklist — PDF format (30 KB)	Employment issues after a disaster (Buddle Finlay)
Business continuity checklist — Word format (154 KB)

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Week 4

With a state of emergency now declared, the possibility of an eruption is a major focus:

Develop communications systems so you can keep suppliers, customers and staff informed of the anticipated effects on your business.
If your business is farming, plan to move stock to protect them from the effects of ash.
Make sure you have plans in place to cope with disruptions to the services you rely on (telephones, internet connection, electricity, water etc).
Check evacuation procedures.
Prepare health and safety plans covering:
1. Staff and contractors working outdoors
2. Changes to procedures that could be affected by ash. For example, ash will make surfaces more slippery.
3. Staff clearing ash off premises
4. Staff travelling to and from work
5. Provision of personal protective equipment (PPE)
Check evacuation procedures

Use the checklists to help you prepare for the day this scenario becomes a reality.

Downloads:	Links:
Business continuity checklist — PDF format (30 KB)	Quake-safe your premises
Business continuity checklist — Word format (154 KB)

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Week 5

During the eruption:

Listen to the local radio stations (see links below for list of frequencies) for emergency information and instructions.
Follow any evacuation orders issued by authorities.
Close windows, doors and other points that can allow the entry of ash.
Shut down air conditioning systems.
Put measures in place to stop staff and customers "walking' ash into your premises.
Cover equipment stored outdoors with tarpaulins.
Protect any sensitive electronics from ash with plastic covering.
Consider releasing non-essential staff so that they can go home before ash starts to fall.
Do not overload phone lines and cellphone networks with non-emergency calls.
Avoid all driving during ashfalls
Cover stock feed to prevent contamination by ash.
Move stock to areas less likely to be affected by ash (this could change every day, depending on wind direction).

Use the checklists below now to help you prepare for the day this scenario becomes a reality.

Downloads:	Links:
Business continuity checklist — PDF format (30 KB)	Taranaki radio frequencies
Business continuity checklist — Word format (154 KB)	Ashfall advice to businesses (USGS)

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Week 6

There'll be much to attend to in the post-eruption phase:

When it's safe, clear roofs of ashfall. Do not use water because the added weight could cause roofs to collapse.
Follow official instructions for the disposal of ash.
Record information for insurance claims:
- Take photos of damage
- Keep lists of damage to buildings, plant and equipment
- Record livestock losses and damage to crops, etc

Remember that once Mount Taranaki has become active it could have eruptions on and off for up to 10 years. Plan how you will adapt to live with the threat of eruptions and ashfall for the next few years. Use the checklists below now to help you. Farmers, scroll down for more information and advice that's relevant to you.

Downloads:	Links:
Business continuity checklist — PDF format (30 KB)	Ashfall mitigation — agriculture
Business continuity checklist — Word format (154 KB)	Ashfall and power supplies

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Who was behind Taranaki Blowout?

This exercise was run by the Taranaki Civil Defence Emergency Management Group in partnership with New Zealand Red Cross and with input from GNS Science.