Definition of Contingency Plan

A plan of contingency It is contained in a document that establishes a set of strategies to deal with a possible threat. In general, this type of plan has the purpose of protecting the people who work in a place and, at the same time, protecting the environment and the infrastructures related to an activity.

A contingency plan is a risk analysis

The contingency plan allows you to minimize the possible risks that can negatively affect an activity. In this sense, it is understood that risk implies a certain threat and vulnerability and therefore reason the following formula is established: Risk = Threat x Vulnerability (R = A x V).

An exposed pipeline is a vulnerable structure, fires near a gas pipeline are a threat and the risk is that an explosion or fire could occur. Therefore, a contingency plan is a risk analysis based on potential threats.

Making a plan

In general terms, any contingency plan includes four stages: evaluation, planning, feasibility tests and execution.

These phases or stages should be reviewed periodically so that the plan is as effective as possible. As is logical, it is necessary that all the established strategies are accompanied by the material resources necessary and preparation professional adequate.

The contingency plan includes a series of sub-plans, such as the backup plan where some preventive measures are introduced to avoid the appearance of a threat or the emergency plan. emergency in which it is specified what the action should be at the moment in which a threat occurs. Another of the sub-plans is the recovery one, which contemplates the necessary measures that must be incorporated after the threat is controlled.

Why its importance?

The term contingency refers to the possibility of an event happening. In this way, it deals with everything that is not necessary. If we apply this idea to the field labor, a common contingency could be an accident at work or a disease.

In the event of any contingency or eventuality, it is possible to adopt preventive measures and for this reason companies implement the aforementioned contingency plans.

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