Graphic Media Alliance

Source: Sedgwick, April 3, 2025

The Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness considers March 16 – March 22^nd as Severe Weather Awareness Week. During this time, Governor Mike DeWine encourages Ohio Businesses to prepare themselves for spring and summer weather hazards, including thunder, lighting, tornadoes and floods.  Although we are past that date, I thought I would take this opportunity to remind you of the importance of developing a severe weather preparation plan. This is a great time of year for businesses to look at their Emergency Action Plan (EAP) and review appropriate procedures and responsibilities of employees during potentially hazardous weather events. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Emergency Action Plan Standard can be found at https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.38.

First and foremost, you can check to see which severe weather hazards may occur in your area by going to https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/74d12934524d4e88a1f7c50c377bec1a and inputting your address or zip code. You may be surprised at the hazards you uncover. By combining the weather hazards experienced in your area with OSHA’s EAP Standard, you can create the appropriate steps in preparing for each condition. In my area, for example, there is the potential for Flood, Tornadoes, Drought, Thunderstorms/Lighting/Hail Risk and Extreme Heat.

The purpose of an EAP is to facilitate and organize employer and employee actions during workplace emergencies. A well-developed emergency plan and proper employee training should result in fewer and less severe employee injuries and less structural damage to the facility. On the contrary, a poorly prepared plan can lead to a disorganized evacuation or emergency response, and may result in confusion, injury and property damage. OSHA states “An emergency action plan must be in writing, kept in the workplace, and available to employees for review. However, an employer with 10 or fewer employees may communicate the plan orally to employees.”

According to OSHA, an EAP should include the items below, at a minimum, as well as, incorporate best management practices to make your program even stronger.

1. Emergency Procedures ...
2. Employee Alarm System...
3. Training...
4. Review of Emergency Action Plan ...

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GMA's Disaster Mutual Assistance Plan (DMAP) Program is Like Insurance – It's There in Case You Need It.

Fortunately, printers do not often experience a disaster which interrupts their business operations but occasionally it happens. Storm damage, floods, fire, equipment breakdown, labor disputes, cyber-attacks, or other regional or national disasters can bring production operations to a screeching halt and prevent or delay a company from fulfilling its customers’ needs. Companies can buy insurance to cover the cost of the damage and recover the cost of additional business expenses, but still must serve their customers. If we don’t meet the customers’ needs quickly, everything else becomes unimportant.

Printing businesses may also find that having a contingency plan in place is required by some customers before they can enter into a contract or place an order with the company. DMAP certificates have been used to fulfill this requirement, at no cost to Association members.

Participants in the DMAP program are asked to complete an Equipment Inventory and sign a Confidentiality and Non-Compete Agreement. Participants agree that in the event the Association calls them on behalf of another member needing assistance, the participant will respond favorably by offering to perform the services needed in a confidential manner subject to the following guidelines:

• Any relationship with the customer will be disclosed at the beginning of discussion between the firm outsourcing the work and the firm performing the work. This disclosure includes having the customer on a prospective call list.
• All discussions and outsourcing of the work will be strictly confidential and be conducted under the highest ethical standards.
• The printer or graphic arts firm performing the work agrees not to contact the customer or solicit work from the customer for a period of one year.
• The work will be performed at reasonable trade prices, which are mutually agreed upon between the firm outsourcing the work and the firm performing the work.

We also have a Disaster Planning Mutual Assistance Guide to assist with planning your company’s course of action should you experience a business interruption. Planning and preparation will help smooth your journey through any potential adversity.

To learn more about the DMAP program, contact your BDD or the GMA office at 614.794.2300.