Tips to Prepare for Hurricane Season

In many areas of the country, hurricane season has devastating effects annually. Tropical storms and hurricanes can bring winds and flooding that not only cause damage to property but that endanger workers as well. Planning, Equipping and Training can help avoid the devastation that these storms can bring. Use the following tips from OSHA to be prepared:

1) Planning:

It is important to have an evacuation plan in place to ensure that workers can get to safety in case a hurricane may affect the area. A thorough evacuation plan should include:

• Conditions that will activate the plan
• Chain of command
• Emergency functions and who will perform them
• Specific evacuation procedures, including routes and exits
• Procedures for accounting for personnel, customers and visitors
• Equipment for personnel

2) Equipping:

• Get emergency supply kits and keep them in shelter locations
  • Basic Disaster Supplies Kit
  • Emergency Response Plan - Evacuation. Ready.gov - Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
  • Hurricane Preparedness - Get Supplies. Centers for Disease Control and

3) Training:

• Ensure that all workers know what to do in case of an emergency.
• Practice evacuation plans on a regular basis.
• Update plans and procedures based on lessons learned from exercises.

Use OSHA‚s disaster outreach plan at https://www.osha.gov/dte/outreach/disaster/index.html to train workers on disaster sties.