Businesses in Cascadia - CREW

tenant-businesses to assume greaterresponsibility for the life safety of theirpeople. Other than seeing to the evacuation,owners generally make no plans and set asideno provisions for the occupants and see suchpreparations as the sole responsibility of thetenant/employer.Continuity vs. Liability. While a tenantbusiness’priority is to get back into thebuilding as soon as possible after theearthquake, the owner of the building is morelikely to be motivated by concerns aboutliability. For example, it is not unusual forlease agreements to release the owner fromany obligation to restore the building for useafter a disaster such as an earthquake. Tenantswho seek to develop continuity plans maytherefore find it difficult to coordinate theirobjectives and recovery timelines with thoseof the owner of the building.STRANDED WORKERSThe issue of who is responsible (and to what extent) for the people who are left stranded by theearthquake was one that came up in several contexts. As noted above, it was identified as a pointof potential tension between owners of buildings and their tenants. It is also complicated by thestatus of buildings, many of which may be too damaged to serve as shelters, and in any case,would have to pass inspection before people could reoccupy them.Depending on the time of day, the earthquake could leave thousands of people stranded at theirplaces of work, at universities, or at large public venues. A few businesses have planned for sucha contingency and have set aside provisions to last about three days. Even this, however, may notaddress the problem of providing shelter or be sufficient for the number of people or length oftime involved. Many response and continuity plans assume the business’ building will be usable,that few people will be stranded, and that most will be able to reach home within 72 hours.The discussion in Oregon was particularly concerned about the extent to which publicauthorities, such as city governments, should assume responsibility for stranded people. The roleof the Red Cross and other non-profit aid organizations was also discussed, but the time requiredto fully mobilize these resources may still necessitate that businesses prepare to be withoutassistance for two to three days. Some agencies now recommend that people have enoughemergency provisions to last seven days.6 | CREW Business RoundtablesFigure 6. Damaged Inventory in Christchurch, New Zealand.As this photo demonstrates, an earthquake, such as themagnitude 6.1 earthquake that struck Christchurch inFebruary of 2011, can cause serious damage to a business’inventory and other unsecured nonstructural elements.(Photo: Ross Becker, Photographer, CERA photo gallery)