The Hurricane Laura was a landfall storm, moving across all of the Gulf Coast and matched the most powerful hurricane to strike Louisiana. The result was massive destruction to buildings and homes and also left more than one million people without electricity. Experts estimate that the damages approximately 9 billion dollars.
The destruction caused by the hurricane Laura caused isn’t unheard of. In fact it’s the Congressional Budget Office expects hurricanes and tropical storms to cause damage of $54 billion each year. And the National Center for Environmental Health expects more intense hurricane activities in the year 2020 than in the prior year. That’s why it’s important to come up with a plan for preparing.
Emergencies and disasters can strike at any time on a construction site,” said Nicole Bacon, regional vice for Construction for The Hartford. “Planning and preparing for crises, like hurricanes, before they strike is essential in protecting employees and job sites.”
Pre-Planning: Business Continuity Management
The most crucial actions contractors can take to reduce the damage to their job locations and ensure that their workers are protected during a disaster is to prepare. This is where business continuity management can assist. It’s about:
- The weekly Weather Watch meeting incorporated into weekly safety meetings in order to remain ahead of the weather conditions, secure the facility and move equipment out of areas with low elevation.
- The business continuity plan focused on resuming and recovering business operations.
- Emergency response planning which contains more information on security for site and people.
When you’re drafting a strategy to prepare and respond to hurricanes and other natural disaster situations, you should include these three suggestions to help you develop an effective policy.
Address Property Upgrades to Reduce Hurricane Damage
With winds that vary from 74 mph in a Category 1 hurricane up to the 157 mph of a Category 5hurricane, these storms can cause massive destruction. If your work sites are within areas that are in the way of approaching hurricane, it’s an excellent idea to look over your structures to identify what might be vulnerable to damage.
To limit the possibility of serious damage, do a few improvements to your building for example:
- The addition of more exterior and roof cladding to fasten
- Modifying the roof ballast
- Bracing rooftop components
- Offering various grades of films to windows
Also, don’t forget to consider the water destruction. If a hurricane strikes land the storm surge could be up to 20 feet higher than normal tide. Therefore, it is important to examine the plan for water damage (WDPP) and implement any necessary modifications. Since your work locations are different and unique, you must have a plan for each project you are working on. If you don’t have one, think about developing plans before a storm comes through.
A water prevention strategy outlines the steps taken to stop water intrusion and the best way to deal with the damages. Common sources of water damage are:
- Adjacent properties
- Groundwater
- Irrigation systems
- Doors and windows
- Plumbing
- Fire sprinklers
Making Life Safety a Priority
The National Hurricane Center will issue an advisory for hurricanes in the event that the weather is likely to impact your region. If this occurs the safety of your family and friends should be the top priority. Plan out the actions you must take in the first few minutes after an storm. A few of the items to consider include:
- Sending a notice to evacuate and shelter, or secure
- Emergency services can be contacted with exact and complete details
- The training of employees is in the first aid so they are able to assist injured employees
Measures to Stabilize and Preserve Property
The slow-moving storms or the ones that remain over a place for a long time may cause severe destruction. This is why it’s crucial to take measures to protect and stabilize properties on construction locations.
Your plan should contain the following elements:
- Assessment of damages
- Salvaging
- Cleanup
- The resources you need are readily available or readily available
One of the most beneficial actions you can take is to check regularly the weather forecast when you’re facing severe weather or hurricane incidents.
“Knowing in advance what kind of storm is coming or the strength of a hurricane when it makes landfall is crucial information to have, because you’ll give your business the best opportunity to reduce damages and conserve property,” Bacon stated. “Pay attention to how strong winds will be and how much rainfall a hurricane or storm will bring while it passes through the area, especially low lying areas of the building site or where equipment is stored.”
Reviewing, Practicing to Create a Successful Plan
The most important aspect of having an effective business continuity management plan is to periodically review and test it. An annual review keeps the plan in place and find gaps that require to be dealt with.
Training exercises to help you practice your plan will ensure that your employees are aware of what to do during a storm.
“Evacuation drills are some of the best ways to see if your plan is effective and efficient before an emergency actually happens,” Bacon explained. “The last thing you want to happen when a hurricane is coming is having a lack of preparation cause chaos, or leave you with no pre-plan where to move people, equipment or materials.”
Construction emergency preparedness involves more than simply having a plan in place in the event of an emergency. The need to have a business continuity plan you can prepare in case of a storm or other kind of emergency is an essential first step.