To make the BCP effective

Also, according to a survey of 100 major companies in Japan (published by Asahi Shimbun on December 16, 2013), only two-thirds of the companies have made their main bases earthquake-proof, and although disaster prevention measures have been strengthened by reviewing their BCPs, it is clear that there is a delay in taking measures for the most important buildings. Not only earthquake resistance, but about half of the companies have less than three days' worth of fuel stockpiled for private power generation, and only three companies have stockpiled more than a week's worth of water, which is extremely low. Meanwhile, the number of companies that have formulated BCPs is high at about 90%, and although soft measures such as organization and training plans are progressing, the delay in hard measures is noticeable.

BCPs vary from company to company and organization to company, and cannot be determined uniformly. In terms of responding to earthquakes, if an alternative base is set up in an area less affected by the earthquake, then not many stockpiles are necessary, but in cases where there is no alternative base, the amount of space, energy, water, etc. required to continue business varies from company to company. In other words, even if a building has the same function, the degree to which business continuity can be achieved varies depending on the company that uses it.

In formulating BCPs, many companies plan the number of days and personnel required in the event of a disaster based on actual evacuation and assembly drills. As a result, the amount of electricity, fuel, water, etc. to be stockpiled is decided, but in the unlikely event that many employees are unable to return home as they wish, or in the case of accepting people who are unable to return home, the amount of stockpiles required will change significantly. The location and transportation situation of the company's location must also be taken into consideration. Since the Great East Japan Earthquake caused supply chain disruptions and unexpected business stagnation, influences from outside the company must also be considered. Furthermore, it is necessary to respond quickly not only to an earthquake directly beneath the capital, but also to a massive earthquake in the Nankai Trough. Since the impact of a link between the Tokai, Tonankai, and Nankai islands would be far greater in scope and scale than the Great East Japan Earthquake, recovery after an earthquake depends on how much damage can be reduced through advance measures. And it goes without saying that in order to quickly resume economic activity, all preparations related to business continuity are necessary.

The Society of Heating, Air-Conditioning and Sanitary Engineers of Japan, which I belong to, is working on standardizing methods for verifying BCP in the event of a disaster. The aim is to organize the various demands of building owners and users, and to enable anyone to judge the performance of the BCP required for buildings from a hardware perspective. When building a new building, we organize the design conditions to ensure that nothing is overlooked, and check the degree of fulfilment. For existing buildings, we aim to evaluate the degree of BCP achievement from a hardware perspective, clarify insufficient areas, and become a support tool for formulating renovation plans.

It has been announced that the probability of an earthquake of intensity 6 or higher occurring within the next 30 years is very high over a wide area from Kanto to Shikoku. Given Japan's geographical characteristics and the fact that earthquakes cannot be eliminated, the first priority is to continue preparations on a regular basis without being swayed by probability. As awareness of BCP increases, in addition to traditional disaster prevention measures, the demand for ensuring the continuity of important business activities is likely to increase even further in the future. Those involved in construction have a large role to play, and in order to make BCP effective, we would like to continue to work on a wide range of issues to meet the various demands of companies and organizations.