June 1st marks the start of the hurricane season along the Gulf Coast. The number of named storms in the Atlantic is increasing each year, which is bad news for construction sites. Is your site ready to withstand a hurricane without putting people in danger?
With hurricane season here, it’s time to create a construction hurricane preparedness plan for your workers. If you’re not sure what to put on your checklist, here are some tips on what it should include.
9 Steps to Prepare a Job Site for Severe Weather Threats
Extreme weather is a significant concern for businesses. With climate change on the rise, it is crucial to prepare for the worst in order to keep your business running smoothly. An emergency action plan for your worksite may differ from a competitor’s, but there are a few things everyone should include in their hurricane preparedness safety training. Here are some steps to prepare your site before a storm hits.
1. Write a Hurricane Preparedness and Safety Plan
Safety committees need to provide all employees with a construction hurricane preparedness plan. Some sites only have a brief memo, which is fine as long as it covers safety procedures and evacuation routes. Basic construction safety training is the best way to educate employees about how to prepare for and survive a hurricane.
2. Monitor Reports and Local Announcements
Make sure the hurricane construction plan includes information on emergency websites. Construction site crews need to be able to access local and federal sites, along with NOAA reports.
The first step is having access to these sites and ensuring your team knows the importance of constant monitoring. It doesn’t take long for a storm to develop in the Gulf.
3. Communicate the Plan with Your Team
Tropical storm planning is great, but it won’t matter if your team isn’t in on it. You can even include local building departments. Your hurricane plan checklist should consist of team and department meetings that outline the safety of neighborhood residents and employees in the event of a storm. Is your construction site prepared for a medical emergency?
4. Take Inventory and Document All Work in Progress
Documenting all work in progress is part of any effective hurricane preparedness plan for construction sites. It speeds up the insurance process and may make rebuilding easier if needed. Have documentation that includes pictures, along with itemized lists.
5. Secure Job Site Materials
If you have advanced warning, have any dumpster picked up before the storm hits. The debris is a potential risk to surrounding neighborhoods and the construction site. If the dumpsters can’t be removed, cover them with tarps.
Heavy equipment should also be removed or taken to a garage. All tools and light equipment should also be removed from the site. If there are portable bathrooms or temporary fencing, these should also be removed.
You also want to secure any structures on the site after removing any loose materials. Board up any windows and openings. If possible, place sandbags around the foundation. It will help prevent water from seeping into the structure.
6. Secure Hazardous Chemicals
Hazardous chemicals pose a serious threat to the environment. Removal isn’t always possible, but storage tanks built to storm construction standards can prevent or minimize damage. If a leak occurs, your tropical storm preparation plan should include a third-party clean-up team.
7. Plan for Water Removal
Flooding is common during and after a hurricane, and pumps can save a lot of time and money on the clean-up. Removing standing water is also crucial for the integrity of any structures on the construction site. Non-structurally sound buildings pose a threat to everyone on the site.
8. Evaluate Tower Crane Risks
It takes a while to move a tower crane, even after it’s disassembled. Your hurricane preparedness checklist for a construction site should include contractors that can provide wind ratings.
A construction hurricane safety plan is also vital and should include materials like tie downs, supports, and wind veining.
9. After the Storm – Assess the Damage with Caution
Wait for local authorities to give permission before you visit the construction site. Even after approval is given, you still want to use caution.
Excavation holes can quickly fill with water, and they may be deeper than you realize. Hurricane-force winds can also damage buildings. Loose tiles, broken windows, and shattered beams pose a potential hazard.
A clean-up crew is a good thing to include in your construction hurricane safety plan as well.
Benefits Of Hurricane Safety Training
Safety training courses are an integral part of any workplace. They provide employees with the necessary knowledge to keep themselves and their colleagues safe while they work.
Safety training courses offer a variety of benefits to employees. For example, they can improve your team’s efficiency and work quality, increase safety awareness, promote better communication between management and employees, and find solutions to potential hazards in the workplace. They also help employees identify risks and dangers in the environment, develop appropriate responses, and manage their own emotions when faced with a dangerous situation.
All in all, the best way to prepare for a storm is through hurricane preparedness training. These courses teach you how to survive in a natural disaster, including what to do before, during, and after the storm.
Contact Safety by Design for Construction Safety Training Courses
Construction is one of the most dangerous industries. Workers can be injured by things like forklift hazards, heavy equipment, and falls. To protect workers on the job site, it is essential to have safety training courses in place. Safety by Design has a variety of construction safety training courses that help workers understand how to work safely in this industry. Our third-party safety consulting firm is the number one choice for Texas businesses.
This year’s hurricane season is predicted to be a busy one. Is your team ready? Do you have a hurricane safety plan in place, or are you hoping your construction site is safe? If you don’t know how to make a construction hurricane preparedness plan, we can help. We’ll also evaluate existing programs.
Contact us today and learn more about keeping your construction site safe during the next hurricane.
Tags: construction safety, severe weather, workplace safety
