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Associated Press
3 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
What Comes After the Storm: Compassionate Recovery and Business Resilience Strategies
When disaster strikes, preparedness often takes center stage, but what happens after the crisis passes? Recovering from a disruptive event is more than restoring power or reopening your doors. It's about caring for your people, rebuilding operations, and creating lasting resilience for the future. In our recent webinar, 'Disaster Recovery & Resilience: What to Do After the Crisis,' Antea Group experts Alizabeth Aramowicz Smith, Environment, Health & Safety Practice Leader; Tracy Taszarek, Senior Consultant; and John Ruksenas, Senior Manager; led a powerful discussion exploring recovery strategies through the lens of Human and Organizational Performance (HOP), business continuity planning, and trauma-informed leadership. Below are four essential takeaways to help your organization not only recover but grow stronger after a crisis. Find the full webinar here: Watch On-Demand 1. Rethink Investigations with HOP Principles In the wake of disaster, organizations are under pressure to respond quickly, especially when incidents involve injuries or operational breakdowns. Traditional investigation tools like the Five Whys often miss the bigger picture, leading to oversimplified conclusions and misplaced blame. Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) reframes how we investigate. It encourages us to understand why an employee made a decision based on their environment and pressures, rather than assuming they failed to follow procedure. An example discussed during the webinar shared how HOP-enabled interviews, conducted after a tornado, revealed critical system failures that would have been missed by traditional approaches. By prioritizing psychological safety and empathy, an organization can learn more, respond better, and strengthen its safety systems. Key takeaway: In times of crisis, shift your focus from blaming individuals to learning from the event to improve the system. Train your teams in HOP principles before an event occurs. 2. Activate Your Business Continuity Plan—Early Statistics show that 40% of businesses without a continuity plan never reopen after a disaster. A well-designed Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is your roadmap to recovery, and it must be more than a static document. Using the tornado example scenario mentioned earlier, here are some steps leaders should take immediately following an event: gather updates from the scene, assess employee safety and infrastructure, coordinate emergency communications, and identify critical functions that must be restored first (e.g., payroll, IT, procurement). Common pitfalls include failing to escalate quickly, not testing plans, or struggling with outdated contact lists and contractual agreements. Proactive planning, prepared with regular walkthroughs, desktop simulations, and role-play exercises, helps mitigate these gaps. Key takeaway: Act quickly and don't wait to activate your BCP. Regularly test it through integrated emergency drills and full recovery simulations. The more you train, whether through desktop or role-play, the more confident and capable your response will be. 3. Turn Recovery into Continuous Improvement Recovery is not the final step; it's the beginning of building back better. Every incident, no matter how severe, is a learning opportunity. Post-disaster debriefs should include more than logistics. They must evaluate what worked, what didn't, and what needs to change. This includes reassessing your maximum tolerable outages, reviewing contractor performance, validating contact info, and refining communications strategies. One of the most overlooked reasons recovery plans fail? They're never tested under pressure. Exercises like scenario-based simulations and post-exercise reviews give your teams the chance to build muscle memory—so they know how to respond when it really counts. Key takeaway: Don't file away your recovery plan once the crisis passes. Update it based on rea l-world lessons and stress-test it regularly to build resilience over time. 4. Make Compassionate Recovery Part of Your Safety Culture After a disaster, one of the most powerful things a leader can do is acknowledge the emotional toll on employees. A serious injury, or the loss of a colleague, can leave teams grieving, disoriented, and fearful. A trauma-informed recovery approach prioritizes people. It includes access to grief counseling or Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), compassionate communication from leadership, flexible time-off policies, and thoughtful reintegration of staff into operations. It also means pausing—not pushing—when employees need space to process. A leadership team's empathetic response to a tragic employee fatality, such as bringing in counselors, delaying the restart of operations, and holding a remembrance event, can have a profound and lasting impact on workforce trust and morale. These actions show employees that their well-being is a priority, helping to strengthen safety culture and build long-term resilience. Key takeaway: How you respond in the aftermath of a crisis will define your safety culture. A human-centered approach builds not just recovery but long-term loyalty and resilience. Frequently Asked Questions Q: How can we build HOP principles into recovery exercises? A: Integrate emotional scenarios into your desktop or live simulations, such as an injury or structural damage, so teams can practice asking better, more empathetic questions and avoid falling back into blame-based patterns. Q: What makes a good debrief after a crisis? A: Look beyond whether the 'plan' was followed. Review if vendors met expectations, if communication tools worked, and if decisions were made quickly enough. In today's hybrid work environment, evaluating your communication plan is critical—were messages timely, accurate, and received by the right people to enable decision-making? Also focus on key metrics like restoration time, data loss, and leadership response to truly gauge effectiveness. Q: How can I ensure our business continuity plan will actually work? A: Test it. Start with a simple walkthrough, then evolve into full scenario simulations. Review contracts, contact details, and access to backup locations or systems. Ensure your leaders know how and when to activate the plan. Looking Ahead True disaster recovery goes beyond patching holes. It's about rebuilding with purpose and listening to your employees, testing your systems, and learning with humility. By integrating HOP principles, activating and updating your continuity plans, and leading with compassion, your organization can emerge from crisis not just operational, but stronger, safer, and more united than ever. Need help building a resilient recovery plan or training your leaders in HOP? Reach out today! We're here to support your people and your process. Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from Antea Group
Associated Press
04-08-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Antea Group USA Contributes to Environment Analyst's 'Corporate Guide: Identifying and Remediating PFAS'
St. Paul, Minn., August 4, 2025 /3BL/ - Antea Group USA is proud to announce its contribution to 'Corporate Guide: Identifying and Remediating PFAS' published by Environment Analyst. Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), also known as 'forever chemicals,' have rapidly become one of the most pressing environmental and financial liabilities for both public authorities and privately held landowners and asset managers. In response to growing concerns around the health and environmental risks associated with these persistent substances, Environment Analyst has released a new free corporate guide to help organizations assess, address, and remediate PFAS contamination. This guide brings together insights and best practices from subject matter experts who are leading the charge in PFAS investigation and cleanup. These experts offer practical knowledge grounded in field experience, with the aim of equipping organizations of all sizes with the tools they need to evaluate potential PFAS exposure and take proactive steps to mitigate risks. Antea Group authored the 'Investigating the Extent of PFAS Risk Exposure' chapter, which focuses on PFAS risk assessment and due diligence. Tailored for businesses that are just beginning their journey in understanding PFAS liabilities, the chapter outlines how to initiate investigations into the historic and current use of PFAS across assets, products, and supply chains. It also examines key risk pathways and highlights available data sources that can inform a strategic and efficient approach to PFAS management. 'Given the rapid evolution of PFAS regulations across the globe and the increasing tide of litigation, undertaking this initial, proactive investigation is no longer optional; it's a fundamental requirement for responsible business in today's environment,' states Jason Lagowski, Senior Consultant and PFAS Management Service Lead at Antea Group USA. 'By proactively identifying potential exposure, you can get ahead of regulatory curves, build trust with stakeholders, and empower your organization to explore innovative, PFAS-free alternatives, ultimately building long-term business resilience.' This guide aims to provide a valuable roadmap for navigating the evolving regulatory landscape and mitigating long-term liabilities tied to PFAS. Download the Guide Here Antea Group Belgium and Antea Group Netherlands, also recently contributed to Environment Analyst's Focus on Europe Insight Report, which provides a high-level overview of economic and environmental situations within the current political backdrop. About Environment Analyst Environment Analyst is an international membership community for the environmental services space, built around their market intelligence service. Their analysts help customers examine market opportunities in the environmental sector. They bring together business leaders and practitioners in peer-to-peer networks and share news and insight with member companies. Their mission is to connect the environmental, ESG and professional services community, and provide the intelligence to deliver a sustainable transition. They aim to be the leading global partner supporting the environmental, sustainability & ESG community in its ambition to shape a better future. Learn more. About Antea Group Antea®Group is an environment, health, safety, and sustainability consulting firm. By combining strategic thinking with technical expertise, we do more than effectively solve client challenges; we deliver sustainable results for a better future. We work in partnership with and advise many of the world's most sustainable companies to address ESG-business challenges in a way that fits their pace and unique objectives. Our consultants equip organizations to better understand threats, capture opportunities and find their position of strength. Lastly, we maintain a global perspective on ESG issues through not only our work with multinational clients, but also through our sister organizations in Europe, Asia, and Latin America and as a founding member of the Inogen Alliance. Learn more. Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from Antea Group
Associated Press
16-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Weather Preparedness and Resilience: Insights From the Field
With hurricane season ramping up and severe weather events becoming more frequent, businesses across sectors face increasing pressure to proactively prepare for potential disruption. In our recent webinar entitled, 'Disaster Preparedness: Practical Strategies for Business Continuity,' Lauren Corbett-Noon, Consumer and Industrial Goods Segment Leader at Antea Group, moderated a discussion on this topic featuring Noel Russ, Incident Management (AIM) Service Leader, and Marshall Stageberg, Meteorologist. In this webinar, they shared practical insights on how organizations can strengthen their weather resilience strategies. Below, here are four key takeaways to help your organization prepare, protect, and respond more effectively. To listen to the full webinar, click the link: Webinar: Disaster Preparedness: Practical Strategies for Business Continuity by Antea Group USA 1. Contingency Planning Requires Ownership A plan sitting on a shelf isn't a preparedness strategy—it's a missed opportunity. Organizations are finding it beneficial to go beyond writing emergency response and business continuity plans. At the minimum, these plans must be: Not keeping your contact information, site details, or procedures up to date can cause serious delays, lead to regulatory penalties, and make these resources useless during an emergency. 2. Don't Wait to Vet and Contract Response Partners When disaster strikes, time is critical. Pre-qualifying and contracting with emergency response vendors in advance enables rapid mobilization and can reduce costs. It is important to have agreements in place with remediation, restoration, specialized clean up, and security contractors before an event occurs. Doing so allows your organization to: 3. Use the Right Tools to Monitor and Forecast Weather Risk Understanding your site-specific risk is the first step to effective forecasting. Geography literacy and knowledge of forecast timescales are critical for interpreting weather data and acting early. Organizations can use trusted tools to monitor evolving risks. Such organizations include: National Weather ServiceNational Weather Service Point ForecastsNational Hurricane CenterNational Water Prediction CenterStorm Prediction CenterAirNow By combining long-, mid-, and short-range forecasts with real-time alerts, businesses can activate protocols based on weather triggers tied to their contingency plans. 4. Protect Your People, Equipment, and Facilities When extreme weather threatens, the top priorities should be safety, operational continuity, and minimizing asset damage. Key strategies include: Simple measures like staging assets in advance or having backup generators can yield significant cost savings and reduce downtime. Frequently Asked Questions Q: What are the impacts of some of the budget cuts to NOAA? A: While core weather forecasting services from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Weather Service remain unaffected, budget cuts have limited the availability of specialized forecasts and event planning support from local offices due to staffing shortages. Recent hiring approvals are expected to help restore some of these capabilities over time. Q: If you had to pick two plans to concentrate on, which would you choose? A: The two most essential plans to focus on are an Emergency Response Plan, which addresses all potential facility risks, and a Business Continuity Plan, which addresses operations so they can recover quickly after a disruption. Both of these plans help identify critical functions, evaluate internal and external threats, and often encompass elements of other preparedness plans. Q: What is involved with having an emergency response plan drill? A: An emergency response drill is a valuable opportunity to test communication, coordination, and plan effectiveness by involving key responders such as contractors, Emergency Medical Technician (EMTs), and local authorities. Drills help identify gaps, allow others to review and challenge the plan, and support continuous improvement through post-drill evaluations. Looking Ahead Preparedness is not a one-time activity; it's an ongoing process of planning, training, monitoring, and refining. By taking steps now, organizations can significantly reduce both the human, operational, and financial impacts of extreme weather events. If you have questions, our team is here to help! Reach out if you want help assessing your weather-related risks or building out your response strategy today! Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from Antea Group
Associated Press
02-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Industry Groups Call for Feedback on Revised API RP 1173 To Advance Pipeline Safety Culture and Recognize Continued Improvement
ST. PAUL, Minn., July 2, 2025 /3BL/ - Industry advocacy groups such as the GPA Midstream Association are inviting industry stakeholders to review and comment on the second edition of API Recommended Practice (RP) 1173, Pipeline Safety Management Systems (PSMS). The revised edition of RP 1173 integrates updates aimed at enhancing clarity and effectiveness for organizations ranging from large to very small operators. The primary revisions in this edition, as currently drafted, include: 'The industry now has a key opportunity to actively influence the advancement of pipeline safety and help shape its future direction,' shares Jason Phillips, Consultant, Antea Group. 'Your input is essential to keeping RP 1173 practical, relevant, and effective in driving continuous safety improvement.' Industry stakeholders are encouraged to request access to view the proposed changes and to submit feedback during the open ballot period. To Participate: Review the proposed revisions and submit comments through the official ballot system accessed at: Your input plays a vital role in the ongoing evolution of this important safety framework. For more information, please contact Jason Phillips. Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from Antea Group
Associated Press
20-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Inogen Alliance Associate Awards: Environment Analyst Sustainability Delivery Award and Antea Group Innovation Award
ST. PAUL, Minn., June 20, 2025 /3BL/ - Inogen Alliance is proud to announce recent awards and short-listed award entries from multiple Associate companies, including Antea Group USA, Antea Group Belgium, Antea Group France, Antea Group Netherlands, CDG Environmental Costa Rica, and Tonkin + Taylor New Zealand. The awards included the Global Innovation Awards with Antea Group, as well as the Environment Analyst Sustainability Delivery Awards, where CDG Environmental was shortlisted, and Tonkin + Taylor won Transportation Project of the Year for the second consecutive year. Environment Analyst Sustainability Delivery Awards Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, in collaboration with Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, and Te Ara Tupua Alliance; Tonkin + Taylor, Downer NZ, HEB Construction, is thrilled to announce that the Te Ara Tupua Project has been awarded the Transportation Project of the Year at the Environment Analyst Sustainability Delivery Awards. Te Ara Tupua is a shared walking and cycling path that will provide a vital connection between Wellington and Petone, while strengthening the resilience of a nationally significant transport corridor. In an earthquake prone city and along a windswept coastline, the project is designed to withstand the environmental, social, and economic challenges inherent to the region. It also enhances the resilience of the adjacent Hutt Valley rail line and State Highway 2, two critical components of the national transport network. At the heart of Te Ara Tupua is a unique partnership model that has been in place since the project's inception. Waka Kotahi, New Zealand Transport Agency, has worked in close collaboration with iwi Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika and Ngāti Toa Rangatira, to develop a shared approach that reflects the intergenerational view of Māori. This relationship is formalised through the Project Steering Group, where iwi representatives are involved in all aspects of the project, including procurement, design, construction, monitoring and compliance. Ngā Ūranga ki Pito-One, the middle section of Te Ara Tupua, includes a 4.5-kilometre shared path constructed along reclaimed coastline. The design incorporates seawalls, revetments, culvert extensions, and ūranga – gathering and viewing points that offer space for rest, reflection, and reconnection with the habour environment. The project is now approximately 60 percent complete and is scheduled for completion in 2026. From the outset, the project team developed a Project Sustainability Policy to embed environmental, social, and cultural sustainability into every stage of the project's lifecycle. Te Ara Tupua is using the Infrastructure Sustainability Council (ISC) rating scheme to measure its performance across 25 categories, exceeding standard practice in several key areas. The completed path is projected to increase walking and cycling by approximately 1,700 journeys per day. The shift toward active transport modes will continue to contribute to emission reduction, support public health outcomes, and ease pressure on existing transport networks. Read more about the project with Tonkin + Taylor here. Read more about the Environment Analyst Sustainability Delivery Awards and our Associate short-listed entries here. Short-listed for the Nature Positive Award was Associate CDG Environmental Costa Rica, with Zapotal Golf & Beach Club. The Zapotal Golf & Beach Club project stands as a beacon of nature-positive development, delivering measurable benefits across multiple domains. Its wildlife protection efforts have boosted biodiversity, establishing a baseline to analyze behavioral trends of key species in the area. Landscape conservation has revitalized hundreds of hectares of native vegetation, while water management innovations aim to minimize pressure on the local aquifer. The use of RESIN8 technology on paved surfaces exemplifies sustainable infrastructure, cutting emissions and waste, and the archaeological program preserves the region's rich cultural heritage. Together, these initiatives reflect a commitment to enhancing ecosystems, conserving resources, and honoring history. Antea Group Global Innovation Awards Antea Group USA has been awarded the Grand Prize at the Antea Group Global Innovation Challenge 2025 with its service for Global Climate Risk Assessments. This international competition celebrates and recognizes the most impactful and forward-thinking solutions developed across the Antea Group network. The winning team from Antea Group USA, comprised of Natalya Holm, Audrey Beattie, Celine Morris, Laurell Ahn, and Eileen Lo, developed the Global Climate Risk Assessments service to address the urgent need for public and private companies to quantify and disclose the potential financial impacts of climate-related risks on their organizations. This comprehensive service is designed to align with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework and emerging global regulations, helping clients navigate both current and future climate states. 'We are incredibly proud of the remarkable achievement of our team in winning the Global Innovation Challenge 2025,' said Brian Ricketts, CEO of Antea Group USA. 'Their approach to Global Climate Risk Assessments exemplifies the forward-thinking mindset and dedication to addressing critical climate-related challenges for our clients. This service not only helps our clients meet complex regulatory demands but also provides them with actionable insights to build resilience and drive sustainable growth. It truly sets a shining example of innovation, teamwork, and excellence.' 'Winning this award is a tremendous honor,' says Natalya Holm. 'We hope this service empowers businesses to confidently move forward in their sustainability journeys, providing them with the clear data and strategic insights needed to understand, manage, and disclose their climate-related financial risks effectively.' Other finalists included:Second Place: Life Cycle Assessment at Early Design Stages (Antea Group - France), promoting sustainability from the start of Place: Power Path (Antea Group Belgium), leveraging AI to accelerate the energy Place: Groundwater Trend Analysis Toolbox (Antea Group Belgium), aiding water resource management with a user-friendly Place: Rail Design Pro (Antea Group Nederland), optimizing rail infrastructure design through automation. Read more about the Antea Group Innovation Awards and project here. These awards showcase some of the many innovative solutions from across the globe from our network of Associates, helping to accelerate a more resilient planet for all - together with our partners, clients and communities. Explore more of our case studies and projects here. Inogen Alliance is a global network made up of over 70 of independent local businesses and over 6,000 consultants around the world who can help make your project a success. Our Associates collaborate closely to serve multinational corporations, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations, and we share knowledge and industry experience to provide the highest quality service to our clients. If you want to learn more about how you can work with Inogen Alliance, you can explore our Associates or Contact Us. Watch for more News & Blog updates, listen to our podcast and follow us on LinkedIn. Visit 3BL Media to see more multimedia and stories from Inogen Alliance
