Preparis Case Study: ENGlobal Corporation

One of "America's Safest Companies" is now one of America's most prepared

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Safety is a priority at ENGlobal Corporation. A leading engineering and related project services firm for the energy sector, ENGlobal operates in high-concern geographies and volatile environments. The Company’s dedicated safety teams are so thorough that the Company has been named as one of America’s Safest Companies by EHS Magazine (formerly Occupational Hazards). This employee dedication leads them to always question: are we doing enough? This past decade has offered many opportunities for the team to address that question – and improve upon the answer.

Business Challenge

Hurricanes Rita and Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in 2005. With several offices situated along the Gulf of Mexico, the storms destroyed ENGlobal offices and employees’ homes. With no way to communicate with employees, the executive team didn’t know who was safe, who might be lost or who may need emergency financial assistance. Their response was quick, but as Natalie Hairston, Chief Governance Officer, states, “we were more reactive than proactive.”

The company re-evaluated their employee preparedness processes, and by the time Hurricane Ike struck in 2008, they had a formalized communications plan with a remote call center and a special website. But when the H1N1 outbreak occurred, they realized that their preparedness plan was too narrowly focused. With 20 offices and employees placed in-plant with clients, there were a myriad of threats to prepare for, above and beyond natural disasters.

“Our objective is always to ensure that our employees, their families and our customers are cared for,” said Ms. Hairston. “Emergencies happen, but we didn’t want our teams distracted by the ‘what if’ scenario.” It was time for a more inclusive process.

The Solution

As a first step, ENGlobal created a website offering employees access to information on resources during a crisis. To keep up with the constant influx of new information, ENGlobal turned to Preparis.

The two primary objectives behind selecting Preparis were to gain access to:

• Expert information on over 100 threats;
• Constant updates that would address concerns for offices in remote locations.

Preparis is an online emergency preparedness platform that includes expert information, training, tools and communications that can be accessed via desktops and mobile devices. But what turned out to be especially important is its team of subject matter experts, the X-Force, drawn from disparate disciplines and offering best-in-class information.

“Preparis was there for us, especially when we were facing an unfamiliar crisis - the H1N1 pandemic.” Like many companies, employee fears were elevated by the media coverage; but an expanded presence like ENGlobal’s can further complicate matters. The Chief Financial Officer was left with numerous concerns about employee and client communication and associated H1N1 risks.

“Our CFO had very specific queries about what to do and certain procedures to implement. Preparis’ X-Force delivered quickly, with specific answers to each important question. The response was so thorough, in fact, that he didn’t have any follow up questions. I was quite pleased – as was he.”

The Benefit: The Safest Is Now More Prepared

As the American workforce becomes more aware of potential threats such as terrorism and pandemics, employers struggle with the volume of information on topics about which they’re not expert. Safety and workforce-centric companies like ENGlobal are concerned about how well prepared they are to face these threats.

“Preparis gives us confidence in our preparedness. We want to be sure we’re ready to communicate appropriate responses to individuals, their families, and our clients in case of emergency.”