Bouncing Back After A Natural Disaster For Food Businesses

Bouncing Back: Your Easy Post-Emergency Food Biz Checklist

Reopening after a power cut or natural disaster? It’s important to get your food business back up and running safely. From checking your building to making sure your food and water are safe, this simple checklist will help you reopen with confidence—without risking food safety. Follow these steps to get back on track!

1. Check with Your Local Council

Before reopening, see if there are any post-emergency rules (like a “boil water” notice).

2. Inspect Your Building

Is it officially safe to use?

Can you prep food safely—no falling debris or dirty surfaces?

3. Make Sure Essential Services Are Working

Power

Water

Toilets

If anything’s down, have a backup plan for: electricity & gas, clean water (boiled, bottled, or tanked-in), waste disposal & handwashing.

4. Is Your Refrigerated Food Still Safe?

Power out less than 24 hours and fridge stayed closed? Food might be okay—double-check! Power out more than 24 hours? Toss perishable food—better safe than sorry!

5. What About Frozen Food?

If a full freezer stayed closed & power was out less than 4 days, food should be fine.

If food thawed, refroze, or power was off more than 4 days—DO NOT USE IT!

6. Check Everything Else

Toss leaking cans, dented seams, and any damaged packaging exposing food.

7. Clean & Sanitise Everything

Wipe down food packaging before opening. Clean & sanitise all surfaces, utensils, equipment, and customer areas.

8. Prep Before Reopening

Consider a simpler, safer menu for now.

Make sure staff know the new game plan!

9. Boil Water?

If there’s a “boil water” notice, ensure there’s enough boiled or chlorinated water for drinking, cleaning, and handwashing.

Follow these steps, and you’ll be back in business—safe, clean, and ready to serve!