Doha, Qatar: The UK government has urged Britons to prepare for emergencies and released a 'Be Ready' checklist advising households to stockpile essential items in case everyday services are disrupted by events ranging from severe weather to cyberattacks.
The 'Be Ready' initiative advises households to check cupboards to identify essentials already at home, and then make a list of any additional supplies needed. It recommends building up supplies gradually and checking them regularly, perhaps at six-month intervals, to ensure items have not expired.
"Build up your readiness gradually over time by taking it step by step, and picking up an extra item or two when you can," the UK advisory states.
Below is the full checklist issued by the UK government. [Click to download the pdf version here]
Water
- Enough bottled water for three days. The guidance advises three litres of water per person per day for drinking. More would be needed for other tasks such as cooking and washing.
Food
- Enough non-perishable food for 3 days. Food with a long shelf life that doesn’t need refrigeration or cooking e.g. tinned meat, fish or vegetables, dried fruit and nuts. It’s best to buy food you’d usually eat.
Hygiene
- Hand sanitiser, wet wipes and bathroom products
Light and Warmth
- A torch and spare batteries as torches are safer than candles.
- Blankets, sleeping bags and warm clothing as homes can become cold very quickly when the heating goes off.
Communication and Information
- A battery-run or wind-up FM radio for updates during outages, write down frequencies of any national or local radio stations you use for news.
- Charged power bank to charge phones or compatible medical devices.
Money and Documents
- A mix of coins and notes in cash and cards, in case electronic payments or ATMs are disrupted. The amount of cash you should keep depends on your family’s specific needs for essentials.
- Have printed copies of important documents such as passports, birth certificates, insurance policy details and instructions for any medical equipment you rely on.
- Write down contact details of who you’d need to contact in an emergency (including anyone who might need checking on) and a list of any regular medication and doses.
Medical and Health
- First aid kit and first aid items, including items such as waterproof plasters, bandages, a thermometer, antiseptic, eyewash solution, sterile dressings and gloves, medical tape for dressings, and tweezers.
- Stock on essential medication and medical supplies. Always leave enough time to request repeat prescriptions so you have less chance of running out in an emergency. It’s important to request prescriptions up to 5 working days before you need your medicine.
Baby Products
- Baby formula, that is ready-made or ‘ready-to-feed’ formula is best, as you may not be able to boil water to make up powdered formula safely.
- Nappies and wipes
Pet Products
- Pet food and bottled water
