emirates7 - The Emergency, Safety and Business Continuity Division at the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) held an internal tabletop exercise recently. The exercise was attended by sector and division representatives to test the readiness and effectiveness of EAD's internal emergency plans.

The exercise was coordinated to measure internal sectors’ speed of response, control and the handling of emergencies in the Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi's assets, in line with relevant procedures.

The Agency tested the readiness, effectiveness and flexibility of its corporate business continuity plan, as well the effectiveness and coordination responses times among various relevant sectors and divisions in tackling risks that could impact business continuity. Scenarios included fires and web access disruptions, in addition to readiness testing of handling environmental risks such as red tide and fish kill in Abu Dhabi.

The exercise also aimed to test remote working practices in order to evaluate the efficacy of the internal emergency plan and measure response times. Similarly, assessing the readiness, effectiveness and flexibility of its corporate business continuity plan was also measured. The exercise tested the activation of vital functions at all of EAD's sites and facilities and assessed the efficiency of internal processes.

Moreover, the exercise ensured the standardisation and consistency of concepts, procedures, roles and responsibilities in those plans, while measuring internal awareness of the plans among concerned sectors.

In addition to ensuring effective communication and information-sharing among concerned internal sectors in the Agency, the exercise also aimed to identify strengths and areas for improvement during emergencies to ensure continuous improvement, in accordance with the best local and international practices and standards related to occupational health and safety, business continuity, and environmental emergencies and crises.