Hurricane Preparedness for Businesses
If your business is in the projected path of a hurricane, you need to act quickly to protect your employees and your property. There are several key steps you can take now that will go a long way towards keeping your employees safe while minimizing damage to your business.
Use the following checklist to help you to prepare your business for a hurricane:
- Pay close attention to forecasts in order to know when to take action.
- Confirm that your employee contact lists are up to date.
- Secure all doors and board up windows to protect against flying debris.
- Clean out floor drains and catch basins and check sump pumps.
- Anchor and fill above-ground tanks with water or product to keep them in place during the storm.
- Fill the fuel tanks on your emergency generator and fire pumps. Fill your vehicles’ fuel tanks, as well.
- Check to see that your fire protection equipment is working.
- Make sure your important records are protected — or duplicate them and move them offsite to a safe area.
- Shut off process piping carrying gas or flammable liquids in case a pipe breaks in the storm.
- Shut down production processes safely and turn off the electricity for non-critical equipment.
- Evacuate your employees.
Do not forget to tie down sheds, small outbuildings or similar structures that may not be designed for high winds. Move any items inside that could blow away in a powerful windstorm. Items including yard storage, benches, chairs, plant urns, signs or potted flowers could become flying debris and cause substantial damage during a storm. Read More
