Hurricanes & Tropical Storms: A Safety Manager’s Guide
Extreme weather events are becoming increasingly common across the globe, causing widespread damage and disrupting daily life. Hurricane season is spinning up again (pun intended) meaning it’s time to make sure we’ve got our safety plans in place.
So how do you prepare for hurricanes and tropical storms and weatherproof your facility? There are three keys to reducing the impact of winter weather events on your workforce. Let’s follow the three Ps we use for all extreme weather preparation:
Let’s dive into these three Ps
The First P: PLAN for Hurricane and Tropical Storm Safety
How do we plan for these events?
OSHA’s got some excellent guidance when it comes to hurricane preparedness.
Hurricane season starts in the Pacific on May 15th and the Atlantic on June 1st and ends on November 30th.
Find Your Evacuation Zone or Route
It’s good to have this info on hand well before you need to put your plans into action.
Understand how storms are categorized.
A tropical cyclone is a rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropical waters and has a closed low-level circulation. Tropical cyclones rotate counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. They are classified as follows:
Tropical Depression:
A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 38 mph (33 knots) or less.
Tropical Storm:
A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph (34 to 63 knots).
Hurricane:
A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 74 mph (64 knots) or higher. In the western North Pacific, hurricanes are called typhoons; similar storms in the Indian Ocean and South Pacific Ocean are called cyclones.
Major Hurricane:
A tropical cyclone with maximum sustained winds of 111 mph (96 knots) or higher, corresponding to a Category 3, 4 or 5 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale.
The Second P: PREPARE for Hurricanes & Tropical Storm Safety
Are hurricanes and tropical storms covered in your facility’s emergency response plan?
An emergency response plan facilitates and organizes employer and employee actions prior to, during, and after workplace emergencies.
Gather emergency supplies: Emergency contact phone numbers, food and water supply, medications, flashlights, batteries, important documentation, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, cell phone, identification
Get your facility ready: clear unsecure items, cover windows and doors, turn off critical utilities, check carbon monoxide monitors
Get your car ready: fill up with gas, emergency supplies, food and water
Why should we prepare for hurricanes and tropical storms?
Besides the economic impact of potential widespread property damage, the most important reason to prepare for extreme weather is to protect community members.
The Third P: PRACTICE Responding to Hurricanes & Tropical Storms
Who is in charge?
Employees need to know who the emergency coordinator is and understand that this person has the authority to make decisions during emergency events.
The coordinator is responsible for assessing the situation to determine whether an emergency exists and requires
Source: OSHA Evacuation Plans and Procedures
If your facility has a generator, ensure proper maintenance and inspections are documented.
Discuss evacuation procedures or best shelter-in-place protocols with all impacted employees.
Host formal training to employees authorized to shutoff utilities.
Prepare your facility when the storm’s a-comin’
Hurricanes and Tropical Storm Safety can be challenging, but we can tackle them head-on with a solid emergency action plan.
By staying informed and taking proactive steps, you can minimize damage and ensure the safety of our workforce and infrastructure.
Whether it’s by regularly checking the local radar, setting up emergency alerts, or running drills, there are plenty of ways to prepare for hurricanes and tropical storms.
Subscribe to the blog to get best practices for responding to extreme weather events. We’ll be posting a new article monthly.
With a little preparation, we can face any weather challenge with confidence.
