What if your freezer system fails?
What if your lab space loses electricity?
What if your freezer room floods?
In the current climate of uncertainty, disasters can occur at any moment, threatening businesses with significant data loss, operational disruptions, and financial setbacks. Cold storage companies, in particular, face unique challenges in disaster recovery due to the sensitive nature of the products they store. Therefore, it is essential to have a robust disaster recovery plan in place to ensure the continuity of operations and the protection of valuable assets.
There are 6 steps to a comprehensive disaster recovery strategy:
1. Understanding the risks
The first step in creating a disaster recovery plan for a cold storage company is to assess the potential risks that could impact the business. These risks may include natural disasters like floods, fires, or earthquakes, as well as human-made threats such as power outages, equipment failures, or cyber-attacks. By understanding these risks, the company can develop specific strategies to mitigate them and minimize their impact on operations.
2. Backup and recovery processes
One of the most critical components of a disaster recovery plan is establishing robust backup and recovery processes for the company's data and systems. In the case of a cold storage company, where maintaining the integrity of temperature-sensitive products is paramount, having secure and reliable backups is crucial. This includes regular backups of all critical data, such as inventory records, customer information, and operational data, ideally stored both on-site and off-site to ensure redundancy.
3. Emergency response team
Designating an emergency response team is essential for coordinating and executing the disaster recovery plan effectively. This team should include key personnel from various departments, such as IT, operations, logistics, and management, to ensure a comprehensive and coordinated response in the event of a disaster. Regular training and drills should be conducted to ensure that team members are familiar with their roles and responsibilities.
4. Communication plan
During a disaster, clear and timely communication is crucial for minimizing confusion and ensuring the safety of employees and customers. A communication plan should outline the steps for informing employees, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders about the situation, including alternative contact methods in case of power outages or network disruptions. Establishing communication protocols in advance can help maintain transparency and trust during challenging times.
5. Prepared facility
Cold storage facilities require special attention when developing a disaster recovery plan due to the need to maintain specific environmental conditions for storing perishable goods. Regular maintenance of temperature control systems, backup power generators, and security measures is essential to prevent disruptions in operations. Additionally, identifying alternative storage facilities or suppliers in advance can help mitigate the impact of a disaster on the company's ability to fulfil its obligations.
6. Testing and evaluation
A disaster recovery plan is only effective if it is regularly tested, evaluated, and updated to reflect changes in the business environment. Conducting simulated disaster scenarios, such as power outages or equipment failures, can help identify weaknesses in the plan and provide an opportunity to refine procedures and protocols. Regularly reviewing and updating the plan based on feedback and lessons learned from testing is key to ensuring its effectiveness when a real disaster strikes.
A comprehensive disaster recovery plan is essential for ensuring the resilience and continuity of operations for a cold storage company but should disaster happen whilst you're still getting your ducks in a row, UK Biocentre is here to help!
We hold the largest automated biorepository in the UK, housing over 12 million samples in our automated -80°C stores. We also manage more than 250 conventional -80°C manual freezers and 117 vapour phase LN2 tanks at -196°C. All of our freezers and automated stores are backed up by uninterrupted power supply. The integration of a UPS system with an automatic-mains-failure (AMF) panel at UK Biocentre ensures continuous power supply to critical cold storage facilities. If a power failure occurs, the UPS immediately draws power from its connected battery set, while the AMF panel instructs the generator to start. This seamless transition allows the UPS to maintain power to its inverter during the generator's startup, protecting valuable samples from temperature fluctuations and preventing damage to freezers/automated stores that might occur if a facility only had a backup generator. Once the generator stabilizes, the UPS switches to the generator's power, and its batteries recharge, ensuring uninterrupted operation. Our extensive experience and infrastructure mean we are uniquely equipped to handle any emergency.
Our Disaster Recovery Cover gives you time and peace of mind while you resolve your issues. With our state-of-the-art facilities and expert team, your samples are always in safe hands. Don’t wait for a disaster to strike—plan ahead with UK Biocentre and secure your valuable research materials today.