What Can Hurricane Katrina Teach Environmental and Quality Professionals?

摘要

As I write this column, the nation is still struggling to come to terms with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. And my mind is flooded (no pun intended) with one idea and one idea only: "What on Earth happened on the Gulf Coast?" If there was ever an example of lack of quality, absence of effective systems (including communication), and inadequate performance, this was it. The environmental and health impacts of this catastrophe are just beginning to be realized. Another scary thought occurred to me while watching the hurricane coverage: Many organizations might find themselves facing equally horrific (though smaller-scale) catastrophes if they were to experience a terrorist attack or a major chemical accident. Most companies say they have plans in place to deal with such contingencies. But how well would these plans work if they were put to the test? Maybe Hurricane Katrina has some valuable lessons to teach those of us in the environmental and quality professions.