Original Date: 03/17/1997
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

Catastrophic Business Interruption Planning is aimed at assessing the vulnerability of Polaroid’s facilities worldwide and developing disaster recovery plans to reduce business interruptions. These interruptions include catastrophic disasters and special fire hazard losses for items critical to producing and meeting end-user needs.

In August 1995, a battery plant fire triggered concerns at Polaroid that the potential for catastrophic disasters was very real and little formal planning existed for disaster recovery and pre-disaster planning. Polaroid’s vulnerability rested in the uniqueness of its products and processes; the age of its buildings; and the dependency on the many special chemicals of its processes. The goal was to reduce the risk of catastrophic business interruptions by installing improved detection systems, improving structural materials, and developing disaster recovery plans among other improvements. Polaroid’s approach consists of data collection, risk analysis, and disaster recovery for each of its major manufacturing divisions.

Data was gathered through questionnaires, plant visits, and interviews. Polaroid used the data to improve risk reduction measures; and assess facilities and equipment vulnerabilities, business interruption effects, and hazard characterizations. Next, Polaroid reduced the data to classify the risk analysis or vulnerability to its various resources. Facilities, equipment, materials, and processes were analyzed to determine whether they could be replaced, what the cost would be, and how quickly it could be done. From this analysis, Polaroid developed a risk recovery scenario and established a degree of consequences. Polaroid’s Divisional Disaster Recovery Coordinators set up a workshop which will offer guidance on how to perform disaster recovery and strategic planning.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.