Vital Records

Vital records overview

Vital records are those which are required to:

establish and protect the rights and interests of the organisation and its clients
re-instate business operations during or following a disaster
continue to communicate with, and service the needs of, staff following a disaster.

Vital records include (but are not limited to):

It is important to identify vital records for the following reasons:

It is an essential business practice for any organisation.
A vital records register is an essential component of any risk management or disaster management plan.
A register will ensure that the organisation’s vital records are identified and protected.
Identification of vital records requires a sound understanding of the objectives and functions of the business of the organisation.
Senior management within each section or division of the organisation will have a good understanding of key functions and the recorded information relevant to those functions, will be essential to re-establish business.
Vital records will only remain “vital” for certain periods of time. For example: contracts and deeds are vital while they are current. They will still be important records to keep once their currency has expired but they will not be necessary for immediate recovery of business activity.

Recovery and access to vital records (regardless of format) is an essential business component for any organisation.
Protection, Recovery and Access to vital records is reliant on:
- Identification – once identified, incorporate into a vital records register.
- Duplication – copies are essential so that the copy may be used for day to day business / reference purposes and the original is protected and safeguarded.
- Backup – daily backup of systems where possible.
- Removal – remove vital records from the site to a place where they can be safely stored and retrieved when required.