We have prepared comprehensive plans to deal with crises, emergencies and other contingencies and developed training programmes for major segments of our business, especially for risk scenarios that also affect the population. Crisis situations are simulated regularly at all EVN locations. In addition, internal and external exercises and training sessions on crisis management are held in Lower Austria. Crisis management systems have also been installed at our operations in Bulgaria and North Macedonia.
EVN defines crisis management as a situation that has or could have significant negative effects on involved areas of the EVN Group, its employees, the population, environment or image. Significant negative effects can arise, among others, from the following situations:
- Significant, long-term restrictions on supplies of EVN’s products and services
- Blackouts
- Direct and irreversible damage to human life or health (e.g. through fire, explosions, gas or hazardous material leaks)
- Irreversible, material damage to the environment or damage that can only be reversed at substantial expense
- Lasting and direct danger to a larger number of persons (e.g. natural disasters, pandemics) or massive restrictions on business activities as a result of government measures
- Threats, trespassing, vandalism, sabotage, attacks (also in electronic form, e.g. cyberattacks, or the loss or theft of data etc.)
EVN’s crisis management system describes the formal structure of the company’s crisis management and regulates procedures and provides handling instructions for crises. It includes important information that must be available in a crisis as well as checklists to serve as guidelines for the crisis staff in special situations. The crisis management system also defines suitable interfaces to ensure close cooperation and efficient teamwork with emergency support organisations and public authorities.
The goals of EVN’s crisis management are:
- to prepare for potential crises
- to establish the organisational requirements to efficiently master these crises
- to train and hold practical drills for the employees responsible for EVN’s crisis management in accordance with their functions
- through defined information, to create the necessary awareness among all employees for the actions required to master crises,
and when crises occur
- to quickly identify these crises as such
- to efficiently design the procedures to master crises
- to ensure the continuation or resumption of normal business activities (Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning)
- to support cooperation with public authorities and emergency aid organisations through suitable and, where appropriate, predefined communication channels and
- to minimise the effects of the crises.