Three out of four companies lack the training to cope with staff loss after a major disaster, new research reveals.

Eighty-three per cent of 1,150 managers surveyed said they had not made plans to cope with high levels of absence for substantial periods.

According to the report by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and the Cabinet Office, less than half (49%) of firms had a business continuity plan.

Forty-four per cent of those with procedures in place said a loss of people would not have a significant impact upon business strength.

The survey shows that technology is the primary concern in the event of a disaster. Two thirds of business continuity plans dealt with problems with IT and telecommunications.

Jo Causon, director of corporate affairs at the CMI, said that companies must put more adequate strategies in place.

“Any business continuity plan has to be robust, and a critical element is planning for your people,” she said.

“It’s all very well having the technology but if you have no one to run it, that’s a problem.”

Lydon Bird, Technical services director at the Business Continuity Institute, said people management was the largest gap in many continuity arrangements.

“HR departments should be looking at this and pushing the people factor forward as part of the risk management agenda, but I don’t think they are,” he said.