Business Continuity Guidance for Businesses
Gas
Loss of gas supplies following failure at a key gas terminal for two winters. Some risk of involuntary interruptions to industry (and potentially domestic supplies) and consequent limited three-hour rota electricity cuts across the UK (for four months during the first winter).
Underpinning risks:
This scenario would arise following severe damage to a key gas terminal.
- Sufficient damage to disrupt national energy supplies for two winters.
- Industrial accidents could cause short term losses to localities; however supply should normally be restored within days.
- Protracted gas loss could result in 3-hour rota disconnections of electricity (see electricity planning assumption)
BCM Implications:
- Loss of electricity (with associated secondary consequences, see planning assumption 5)
- A lack of consistent electricity supplies would cause intermittent disruption to businesses on a national scale, which may have to close due to lack of heating or during rota cuts.
- Nationally, schools and offices may close until they could find alternative heating sources and may have to alter their hours to accommodate rota cuts.
- Possible permanent loss of some key national businesses (such as basic chemical manufacturers)
- Reduction in the availability of dairy produce.
Consider alternative methods of working, rostering of the workforce to match rota power cuts, closure of non-essential premises and movement of critical services to unaffected locales (including offshore) where possible and health and safety implications allow.
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