Biba blog: Olympic hurdles ahead

I normally switch off when the ‘F’ word is mentioned, but the collective heartache of England’s football fans is unavoidable. Their grief is palpable, hanging thick in the Leadenhall air. The hopes of our footballing nation dashed by the two Ashleys who provided further evidence of the gut-wrenching inevitability of defeat, according to the armchair pundit I endured on the train.

Ah well, there’s always the Olympic and the Paralympic Games to look forward to, if you’re lucky enough to have a ticket. If not, there’ll be the fun of battling for supremacy in the contest that the daily commute could become for thousands while the games are underway. Why, just this morning Southern trains warned to allow extra time for journeys through London Bridge station on Tuesday 10 July as it will be rehearsing its Olympics plans. Queuing systems (aren’t they ultimately just queues?) will be in place at the station until 8pm, apparently.

I suspect that there are many who still have their heads in the sand about the disruption the Olympics could cause to their business. Time is running out fast – the games open on Friday 27 July. For those that have not reviewed their business continuity plans there are still simple things that can be done to make working lives easier for the duration. In essence, businesses need to ensure that they can still operate and provide a service to their customers during the Olympics.

As a bare minimum, take a look at the Get Ahead of the Games website at http://www.getaheadofthegames.com to learn about transport hotspots, road closures and events that could have a bearing on how your business and staff operate so as to plan around them. There’s also the London Organising Committee’s website at http://www.london2012.com, which has helpful information to keep businesses running smoothly. 

Security is paramount, and one link that will take businesses beyond the Olympics is the Cross-sector Safety and Security Communications (CSSC) project that Biba has signed up to. The CSSC represents a partnership between the police, government and industry to ensure a safer City where timely and authoritative security messages can quickly reach as wide an audience as possible. 

Businesses can register to receive information alerts about any events that might affect them and receive updates on their chosen sector via the CSSC Information Hub (insurance is one of the 25 different industry sectors represented) at: http://www.neighbourhoodlink.met.police.uk/registration. In doing so, businesses can stay safe and secure in the run up to, during and after the Olympics – I know we all would welcome that wholeheartedly.

Vanessa Young, Biba