• Before we had to prepare for fire, earthquake, and severe weather.
• Now we have to prepare for potential bomb threats, bio-terror, and other kinds of massive destruction affecting our workplace and community.
• Text-intensive manuals won't work during an emergency.

Suppose disaster affected one of your locations.

• Suppose a biological agent was released in one part of your campus.
• Suppose authorities dictated that everyone must stay in their own work area until further notice. They cannot leave and they cannot move to another part of your campus.
• How would employees find out what they needed to know?
  • Would they use your company web site?
  • Email?
  • PA System?
  • Phone system?
• Who would create the communication?
• Would you prepare communication ahead of time?
• How would you know if people understand it?
• Would the person creating the messages know how to use the web site, the phone system, etc.?

• Use plain and very clear language.
• Test it with people.
• Fully expect to change it. With each revision, the text will become more concise.
• Test it again.

Suggestion - Use Storyboards for Communication

• Used by airlines for safety instructions.
• Very fast and effective way for people to understand simple procedures.
• Could use in signs on the walls of common areas.
• Could use in handbooks kept by supervisors.

Suggestion - Use Web Site and Email

• For situations that do not require split-second response.
• Procedures must be in place ahead of time for properly authorized people to update the web pages.
• Highly recommended to have web pages that are usability tested by employees ahead of time.
• Must make sure employees can find information.
• Must make sure employees can quickly understand the information.
• If an employee discovers something important, make sure they know the best way to pass along this information.
• The alternative is ad hoc email that would lead to missed or inaccurate information.

• Fire drills are standard for most organizations.
• But how well do procedures work for other disasters?
• Procedures should be tested by typical employees, and changed based on test results.
• Individual tests can be done before conducting larger drills.

Recommendation - Use Scenarios for Initial Planning

• Envision the disaster scenarios.
• Envision the best outcome possible for each scenario.
• Use storyboards and sketch these scenarios.
  • Used for years by the movie industry.
  • Storyboards ensure everyone understands each other in a meeting.
  • One storyboard is at www.grantconsulting.com/usability_storyboard .
    • For a meeting, a real storyboard would be much rougher.

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