| How prepared are you for some natural or | | | | Tornadoes |
| man-made disaster? Now that we are well into | | | | Tornadoes are incredibly violent local storms that |
| the 2008 tornado season here in the U.S., that's a | | | | extend to the ground with whirling winds that can |
| question many small business owners should be | | | | reach 300 mph. Spawned from powerful |
| asking themselves. Most people don't have the | | | | thunderstorms; tornadoes can uproot trees and |
| first clue as to how to prepare their business for | | | | buildings and turn harmless objects into deadly |
| a disaster of any size, but have no fear. By taking | | | | missiles in a matter of seconds. Damage paths |
| the kinds of hazard that might be faced one at a | | | | can be in excess of one mile wide and 50 miles |
| time, we'll show you how to plan for a disaster | | | | long. Tornadoes can occur in any state but occur |
| and get your company up and running again as | | | | more frequently in the Midwest, Southeast and |
| quickly as possible. | | | | Southwest. They occur with little or no warning. |
| An Overview of Disaster | | | | Consider the following when planning for |
| Let's face it, as insulated as we may feel from | | | | tornadoes: |
| vagaries and dangers of the natural world, they | | | | - Find out about your local tornado warning |
| are still out there and occasionally they drop in, as | | | | system from your local emergency management |
| if to remind us that there is something bigger and | | | | office. |
| badder than we are lurking out there and to let us | | | | - Obtain a NOAA Weather Radio with a warning |
| know that we had better watch our step. Our | | | | alarm and battery backup and use it to listen for |
| friends at FEMA, the Federal Emergency | | | | tornado watches and warnings. |
| Management Agency have listed the most | | | | - Tornado Watch. Tornadoes are likely. Be ready |
| common types of disasters and how you ought | | | | to take shelter. Stay tuned to radio and television |
| to prepare for them. | | | | stations for additional information. |
| Fire | | | | - Tornado Warning. A tornado has been sighted in |
| Fire is the most common of all the hazards. Every | | | | the area or is indicated by radar. Take shelter |
| year fires cause thousands of deaths and injuries | | | | immediately. |
| and billions of dollars in property damage. | | | | Develop a way to inform employees when |
| Knowledge is key so make sure your people | | | | tornado warnings are posted. |
| know the fire procedures. Some other things you | | | | Have a structural engineer or architect help you |
| should consider include: | | | | designate shelter areas in your facility. Your local |
| - Meet with the local Fire Department to discuss | | | | emergency management office or the National |
| the community's fire response capabilities and | | | | Weather Service office can help with this. |
| your operations, especially any processes or | | | | Consider the following: |
| materials that could either cause or fuel a fire, or | | | | - Healthy adults require about six square feet of |
| contaminate the environment in a fire. | | | | space each; patients need more. |
| - Have your facility inspected and make sure you | | | | - The best protection in a tornado is usually an |
| are up-to-date on fire codes and regulations. | | | | underground area. Alternatives include: |
| - Ask your insurance company for fire prevention | | | | - Small interior rooms on the lowest floor and |
| and protection tips. | | | | without windows |
| - Educate your employees on how to prevent | | | | - Hallways on the lowest floor away from doors |
| fires in the workplace, how to contain a fire, how | | | | and windows |
| to evacuate the facility and where to report a | | | | - Rooms constructed with reinforced concrete, |
| fire. | | | | brick or block with no windows and a heavy |
| - Keep evacuation routes including stairways and | | | | concrete floor or roof system overhead |
| doorways clear of debris. | | | | - Protected areas away from doors and windows |
| - Assign fire wardens for each area to monitor | | | | Auditoriums, cafeterias and gymnasiums with flat, |
| shutdown and evacuation procedures. | | | | wide-span roofs are not considered safe. |
| - Establish procedures for the safe handling and | | | | Train your employees in what to do in case there |
| storage of flammables and to prevent | | | | is a tornado both before and after they get to |
| combustible materials, including smoking materials, | | | | the shelter. |
| from accumulating. | | | | |
| - Keep your equipment operating safely through | | | | Severe Winter Storms |
| preventative maintenance. | | | | Severe winter storms bring heavy snow, ice, |
| - Place fire extinguishers where appropriate and | | | | strong winds and freezing rain. Winter storms can |
| train your employees to use them. | | | | prevent employees and customers from reaching |
| - Install and maintain smoke detectors and | | | | or safely leaving your facility, leading to a |
| consider installing a fire alarm that called the fire | | | | temporary shutdown until the roads can be |
| department automatically. | | | | cleared. Heavy snow and ice can also cause |
| - Consider installing a sprinkler system, fire hoses | | | | structural damage and power outages. Here are |
| and fire-resistant walls and doors. | | | | some things you can do to prepare: |
| - Identify and mark all utility shutoffs so that | | | | - Obtain a NOAA Weather Radio with a warning |
| electrical power, gas or water can be shut off | | | | alarm and battery backup and use it to listen for |
| quickly by fire wardens or responding personnel. | | | | the following weather information: |
| - Determine the level of response your facility will | | | | - Winter Storm Watch. Severe winter weather is |
| take if a fire occurs. | | | | possible. |
| | | | - Winter Storm Warning. Severe winter weather |
| Hazardous Materials Incidents | | | | is expected. |
| Hazardous materials are substances that are | | | | - Blizzard Warning. Severe winter weather with |
| either flammable or combustible, explosive, toxic, | | | | sustained winds of at least 35 mph is expected. |
| noxious, corrosive, oxidizable, an irritant or | | | | - Traveler's Advisory. Severe winter conditions |
| radioactive. They have to be properly labeled, | | | | may make driving difficult or dangerous. |
| handled, stored, produced and disposed of. All of | | | | Develop procedures to shutdown your facility and |
| which is laid down in the Federal regulations that | | | | release your employees early. |
| apply to your company and the materials you are | | | | Collect and store food, water, blankets, |
| using. Consider the following: | | | | battery-powered radios with extra batteries and |
| - Obtain material safety data sheets (MSDS) for | | | | other emergency supplies for stranded employees |
| all hazardous materials at your location. | | | | and customers. |
| - Get help from your local fire department in | | | | Install a backup power source for all critical |
| developing response procedures. | | | | operations. |
| - Train employees to properly handle and store | | | | Arrange for snow and ice removal. |
| hazardous materials and to recognize and report | | | | |
| spills and releases. | | | | Earthquakes |
| - Develop a hazardous material response plan | | | | Earthquakes can seriously damage buildings and |
| including: | | | | their contents; disrupt gas, electric and telephone |
| - Notification of management, employees and | | | | services; and trigger landslides, avalanches, flash |
| emergency responders. | | | | floods, fires and huge ocean waves called |
| - Evacuation procedures. | | | | tsunamis. Aftershocks can occur for weeks |
| - Training and organization for an emergency | | | | following an earthquake. |
| response team to confine and control hazardous | | | | In many buildings, the greatest danger to people |
| material spills according to regulations. | | | | in an earthquake is when equipment and |
| Identify nearby facilities that use hazardous | | | | non-structural elements such as ceilings, partitions, |
| materials and how an incident at one of them | | | | windows and lighting fixtures shake loose. |
| could affect your facility. | | | | Earthquakes occur most frequently west of the |
| Identify ways hazardous materials could be | | | | Rocky Mountains, although historically the most |
| transported near your company and how an | | | | violent earthquakes have occurred in the central |
| accident nearby could affect your operations. | | | | United States. Earthquakes occur suddenly and |
| | | | without warning. Some things you can do to |
| Floods and Flash floods | | | | prepare for the next "Big One" include: |
| Floods are the most common and widespread of | | | | - Obtain recent and historical seismic information |
| all natural disasters. Most communities in the | | | | for your area. |
| United States can experience some degree of | | | | - Discussing with a structural engineer thing you |
| flooding after spring rains, heavy thunderstorms | | | | can do to strengthen your building, including: |
| or winter snow thaws. Most floods develop slowly | | | | - Adding steel bracing to frames. |
| over a period of days. Flash floods, however, are | | | | - Adding sheer walls to frames. |
| like walls of water that develop in a matter of | | | | - Strengthening columns and building foundations. |
| minutes. Flash floods can be caused by intense | | | | - Replacing unreinforced brick filler walls. |
| storms or dam failure. Some things you can do to | | | | Follow safety codes with any new construction or |
| prepare include: | | | | major renovation. |
| - Determine your risk. Are you in a location that | | | | Inspect, assess and develop measures to prevent |
| floods? | | | | damage to non-structural systems such as air |
| - Review the community's emergency plan to | | | | conditioning, communications and pollution control |
| determine evacuation routes and where to find | | | | systems. |
| higher ground. | | | | Move large and heavy objects to lower shelves |
| - Develop a warning and evacuation procedure for | | | | or the floor. Hang heavy items away from where |
| your company. | | | | people work. |
| - Inspect your facility for areas that are subject | | | | Secure shelves, filing cabinets, tall furniture, |
| to flooding and identify records and equipment | | | | desktop equipment, computers, printers, copiers |
| that can be moved to a higher area. | | | | and light fixtures. |
| - Obtain a NOAA Weather Radio with a warning | | | | Secure fixed equipment and heavy machinery to |
| alarm and battery backup and use it to listen for | | | | the floor. Larger equipment can be placed on |
| flood watches and warnings. | | | | casters and attached to tethers which attach to |
| - Flood Watch. Flooding is possible. Stay tuned to | | | | the wall. |
| NOAA radio. Be prepared to evacuate. Tune to | | | | Add bracing to suspended ceilings, if necessary. |
| local radio and television stations for additional | | | | Install safety glass where appropriate. |
| information. | | | | Secure large utility and process piping. |
| - Flood Warning. Flooding is already occurring or will | | | | Maintain copies of the facility design drawings so |
| occur soon. Take precautions at once. Be | | | | that its post-quake safety can be assessed. |
| prepared to go to higher ground. If advised, | | | | Review and update the handling and storing of |
| evacuate immediately. | | | | hazardous materials. |
| Obtain flood insurance. Regular property and | | | | Obtain earthquake insurance and discuss damage |
| casualty insurance does not cover flooding. | | | | mitigation with your insurance company. |
| Consider flood-proofing your facility. | | | | Conduct earthquake drills and educate all personnel |
| Participate in community flood control projects. | | | | on earthquake safety and procedures. |
| Make advance plans to move records and | | | | |
| equipment in case of flood. | | | | Technological Emergencies |
| | | | Technological emergencies include any interruption |
| Hurricanes | | | | or loss of a utility service, power source, life |
| Hurricanes are severe tropical storms with | | | | support system, information system or |
| sustained winds of 74 miles per hour or greater. | | | | equipment needed to keep the business in |
| Hurricane winds can reach 160 miles per hour and | | | | operation. Such emergencies can be easily planned |
| extend inland for hundreds of miles. Hurricanes | | | | for: |
| bring torrential rains and a storm surge of ocean | | | | - Identify all critical operations, including: |
| water that crashes into land as the storm | | | | - Utilities including electric power, gas, water, |
| approaches. Hurricanes also spawn tornadoes. | | | | hydraulics, compressed air, municipal and internal |
| Hurricane advisories are issued by the National | | | | sewer systems, wastewater treatment services |
| Weather Service as soon as a hurricane appears | | | | - Security and alarm systems, elevators, lighting, |
| to be a threat. The hurricane season lasts from | | | | life support systems, heating, ventilation and air |
| June through November. Here are some things to | | | | conditioning systems, electrical distribution system. |
| prepare: | | | | - Manufacturing equipment, pollution control |
| - Obtain your local evacuation plans from the | | | | equipment |
| emergency management office in your | | | | - Communication systems, both data and voice |
| community. | | | | computer networks |
| - Develop comprehensive shutdown procedures | | | | - Transportation systems including air, highway, |
| for your facility, warning and evacuation plans, and | | | | railroad and waterway |
| communication plans for you and your employees. | | | | Determine the impact of service disruption. |
| - Obtain a NOAA Weather Radio with a warning | | | | Ensure that key safety and maintenance |
| alarm and battery backup and use it to listen for | | | | personnel are thoroughly familiar with all building |
| hurricane watches and warnings. | | | | systems. |
| - Hurricane Watch. A hurricane is possible within | | | | Establish procedures for restoring systems. |
| 24 to 36 hours. Stay tuned for additional | | | | Determine need for backup systems. |
| advisories. Tune to local radio and television | | | | Establish preventive maintenance schedules for all |
| stations for additional information. An evacuation | | | | systems and equipment. |
| may be necessary. | | | | |
| - Hurricane Warning. A hurricane will hit land within | | | | The Bottom Line |
| 24 hours. Take precautions at once. If advised, | | | | What it all comes down to is preparedness. By |
| evacuate immediately. | | | | the time the water is around your ankles, it is too |
| Make plans to protect outside equipment and | | | | late. A small expenditure now will ensure that you |
| structures and to protect windows. Permanent | | | | can stay in business later so consider it an |
| storm shutters are best, but covering your | | | | investment. If you do nothing else, investing in the |
| windows with 5/8" marine plywood is a second | | | | following items will put you well on the road to |
| option. | | | | being prepared for anything. |
| Consider whether you need the following backup | | | | - A NOAA Weather Radio ( |
| systems: | | | | - A fire inspection and a risk assessment for the |
| - Portable pumps to remove flood water. | | | | other hazards mentioned above. |
| - Alternate power sources such as generators or | | | | - Specialty Insurance (flood or earthquake). |
| gasoline-powered pumps. | | | | - Data back-ups and off-site file and data storage. |
| - Battery-powered emergency lighting. | | | | - Uninterruptible power supplies for critical |
| Be prepared to move records, computers and | | | | systems. |
| other items to a safe location within your facility | | | | - Preventative maintenance for all equipment. |
| or to a different, secured location. | | | | - Flashlights, batteries and fire extinguishers. |
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