Ensuring Business Continuity During Hurricane Season

Hurricanes are the most powerful weather events on the planet, and climatologists predict that the 2022 hurricane season will be above average in quantity and severity. Storms of such potency could easily disrupt business operations when companies are unprepared. Sodexo Energy & Resources works diligently to prevent or minimize disruptions to operations during and after hurricanes and to ensure that clients and Sodexo employees are safe.

Crisis Preparation 

Every year, onshore and offshore teams meet to review our Crisis Management Plan. The plan details specific roles and responsibilities — from site management to human resources and finance, we make certain that everyone knows the plan and their roles in it to ensure ongoing service and support to our clients. Preparation includes building an emergency contact list at the beginning of the hurricane season for each site. These lists are critical and, when a storm is approaching, keep teams updated on who may need to evacuate. Our support ensures that clients and other companies are contacted to arrange lodging, transportation, and food and other grocery items in case operations at our offices and/or warehouses are temporarily suspended. 

Of the services we provide, food service is the most difficult to prepare for during a hurricane. Onshore and offshore site crews take inventory of perishable goods, lock down things that need to be secured, then evacuate to their homes until they receive clearance to return. Essential crew members are the last to leave offshore sites and among the first to return to prepare the site to return to normal operations. The safety of our clients and our employees is paramount, so we strategically coordinate timely evacuations of both nonessential and essential offshore crew members. 

After the Storm

After a hurricane, the process of cleaning up, assessing needs, replenishing supplies and rebuilding damaged areas can be overwhelming, but this is where our team excels. During and after Hurricane Ida in 2021 (a category 4 storm), our crews in Louisiana mobilized to evacuate employees to safe areas and provide a key offshore client with outstanding service to meet the client’s needs despite the storm’s devastating effects. This service included the following: 

• Providing transportation and accommodations for employees to ensure we could meet crew changes
• Mobilizing employees from other accounts to work around the clock to ensure that the client’s onshore and offshore meals and grocery supplies were timely delivered and prepared and that equipment needed to get refineries and offshore platforms back on line
• Cleaning and clearing perimeters and trees, repairing fences and equipment, and securing sites.

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Our number one goal at Sodexo is to protect people, property and the environment. During a hurricane event, we ensure the safety of our people through constant communication, says Dawn Guidry, District Manager, Sodexo Energy & Resources. We are always the last crew to leave and the first to return as our clients trust us to prepare their crew and assets before and after the event.

Ensuring business continuity during a hurricane or other natural disasters requires a knowledgeable and resilient team that is dedicated to providing clients with operational excellence and exceptional service. We provide the best responsive issue mitigation and resolution process in the industry while driving optimization, efficiency, safety and savings.  

Are you prepared for business continuity during hurricane season? Partner with an experienced, well-organized service provider: Sodexo Energy & Resources.