Flood Readiness Assessment vs Emergency Plan
A written emergency plan is a proven way to document what a business will do when heavy weather arrives — and many local authorities and insurers publish good templates. WorkplaceReady's Flood Readiness Assessment is designed for a different moment: when an owner or manager wants a scored view of where the business currently stands and a prioritised plan for closing the gaps before the wet season.
Last reviewed: 2026-07-10
WorkplaceReady Flood Readiness
What it is
The Flood Readiness Assessment is a structured questionnaire covering property and location risk, drainage and water protection, critical equipment protection, business continuity, staff preparedness, emergency response and recovery planning. It returns a Business Readiness Score, prioritised actions, a 7-day improvement plan, a manager decision guide and a printable executive report.
Open the toolWritten Emergency Plan
What it is
A written emergency plan lists the practical steps a business will take before, during and after a flood — decision authority, evacuation route, muster point, shutdown routine, supplier calls, insurance contact. It is fast, free and a well-established part of most operational documentation.
Side-by-side comparison
A quick reference for small business owners deciding which approach fits the moment.
| Criterion | WorkplaceReady Flood Readiness | Written Emergency Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Primary output | Business Readiness Score, prioritised actions, printable executive report. | A written plan document you author yourself. |
| Prioritisation | Actions are ordered by impact for your business. | You decide what to include and in what order. |
| Time to a first plan | About 5–8 minutes for a scored, prioritised report. | Depends on how quickly you can draft each section. |
| Reusability | One Business Profile powers this and every other WorkplaceReady module. | One-off — updated whenever you remember to. |
| Shareable with the team | Yes — printable action checklist and executive report. | Yes — the plan itself. |
| Cost | Included with WorkplaceReady Annual. | Free. |
When WorkplaceReady Flood Readiness saves time
You want a scored view of where you stand
The assessment converts your answers into a Business Readiness Score so you can defend priorities and see progress across seasons.
You want a prioritised action plan, not a to-do list
Instead of a long plan to interpret, you get a short, ordered list of the actions most likely to reduce damage and closure length for your specific business.
You want a report you can share upward
The printable executive report is designed to be shown to a manager, insurer or landlord without extra editing.
When Written Emergency Plan is the right choice
You already have a mature written plan
If the business already has a plan the team follows, keep it. The assessment sits above the plan and complements it, rather than replacing it.
You need bespoke procedures for an unusual site
A hand-written plan can carry unusual dependencies, lease clauses or bespoke recovery steps a structured questionnaire won't ask about.
You have no budget for tooling this season
A written plan is free and can be posted on the wall today. The assessment is worth it when you need a scored view and a prioritised plan.
Try it
Open WorkplaceReady Flood Readiness
Free to use, designed for small business owners, and takes only a few minutes.
Open the toolFrequently asked questions
Does the assessment replace a written emergency plan?+
No. A written plan is still the right tool during a live event. The assessment sits above the plan, giving you a scored view of readiness and a prioritised list of gaps to close before the next flood event.
Do I need to be an engineer or safety specialist to run it?+
No. The assessment is written for small business owners and operations managers. Questions ask about your business in plain English.
What do I actually receive?+
A Business Readiness Score, executive summary, prioritised actions, 7-day plan, manager decision guide, flood response procedures, customer communication templates, an emergency response checklist and recovery planning recommendations.
Is there a free option?+
The free Business Downtime Cost Calculator covers a related, narrower job. The full Flood Readiness Assessment is included with WorkplaceReady Annual.