Seven Safety Precautions to Protect Your Employees and Your Company
Is your business prepared if a hurricane hits? Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. Hurricanes can cause extensive damage to infrastructure, disrupt business, lead to a detrimental loss of revenue, and put human lives at risk. By being proactive, you can reduce the chance of injuries to employees, protect physical assets, and ensure business continuity.
1. Establish and Revisit Your Emergency Action Plan
A plan should be communicated company-wide and at a minimum, an annual reminder should be distributed to employees. It is important that it include an evacuation plan to ensure that workers can get to safety in case a hurricane may affect the area. OSHA's Evacuation Plans and Procedures eTool can help.
2. Develop a Plan for Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery
Creating a hurricane plan for business continuity and disaster recovery involves identifying potential risks, developing a response plan, and regularly testing and updating the plan. It's important to involve all relevant stakeholders and thoroughly train employees on the plan to ensure its effectiveness in the event of a hurricane or other natural disaster. Training should be included as part of onboarding, annually, and as reminder messaging when a hurricane is anticipated.
3. Set Up a Communication Plan
Communication plans establish clear protocols and ensure that everyone knows what to do and whom to contact in case of an emergency. Your plan should also include communication with customers. Businesses that set up a communication plan before a hurricane can minimize disruption, ensure timely information sharing, and protect their assets.
4. Stay Informed
Information changes quickly. Apps can apprise you of severe weather. Sign up for community alerts. Download the FEMA app and receive real-time alerts from the National Weather Service.
5. Secure Your Facilities and Equipment
Strong winds, heavy rain, and flooding from hurricanes can lead to structural damage and destruction of property. By securing your facilities and equipment, you can minimize the risk of damage and ensure that your assets are protected. Additionally, and most importantly, taking action can prevent injuries or fatalities.
6. Create an Emergency Supply Kit
Having emergency supply kits for your business during a hurricane is important because they can help ensure the safety of your employees and the continuity of your operations. Kits should include items like non-perishable food and water to survive several days, a manual can opener, medications, blankets, extra clothing, flashlights with extra batteries, a first aid kit, cash, a whistle, a portable phone charger, important documents, and battery-powered radio. It's important to prepare ahead of time so that you're ready to respond quickly and effectively in case of an emergency. Make sure your employees know where the kits are located so they can be quickly accessed when needed.
7. Know Your Insurance Policy and Coverage
Being aware of your insurance policy and coverage before a hurricane can help you prepare financially for any potential damage or losses caused by the hurricane. This can allow you to take the necessary steps to protect your assets and be aware of the action you may need to take to mitigate damages after a loss occurs.
After a hurricane, we urge caution to keep employees safe and strongly recommend that you conduct a hazard assessment of your workplace prior to engaging in cleanup operations. If your company is affected by a hurricane, our Risk Control Consultants are available for consultations, risk assessment assistance, and resource provision.
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For information purposes only. BITCO's blog content does not address all potential circumstances and is not a substitute for business, safety, or legal consultation.
