We cannot stop Mother Nature from inflicting a devastating earthquake, a killer twister, violent hurricane winds, flooding, or uncontrollable fires.What we can control is how we plan, implement, and practice safety procedures, should a disaster occur. Practice your drills before the severe weather season hits in your area.
FIRE:
Have a fire escape plan in place that everyone is aware of and practice it often, whether at home or at the office. Test your smoke detectors monthly and change the batteries twice a year.
EARTHQUAKE
:
Practice duck and cover, and hold drills (counting to sixty seconds). Most quakes do not last much longer than one minute and counting will help keep you calm. If an earthquake hits, seek shelter immediately away from heavy furniture or appliances, woodstoves, fireplaces, open shelves, bookcases, and large panes of glass, pictures and mirrors.
TORNADOES
:
Watch the sky! Be alert to changing weather conditions. Tune to your local TV and radio stations where up to-the-minute reports are available. A watch or warning may be issued depending on the severity of the situation. A
WATCH
means a tornado is possible while a
WARNING
means a tornado has either been spotted or has been identified on the radar. If a warning has been issued, seek shelter immediately. The safest places are in a storm shelter, in a basement (away from the west and south walls or hide under a heavy table or under stairs) or in a small, windowless first floor interior room like a closet or bathroom.
HURRICANES
: Many states have conducted mock hurricane drills in preparation for possible hurricane and weather-related disasters. Drills consist of evacuating people, and enhancing the lines of communication. You can protect yourself by listening to local radio or TV stations for watches, warnings and evacuation instructions. Know the difference between a watch and a warning. A
WATCH
means hurricane conditions are possible within a specific area within 36 hours. A
WARNING
means hurricane conditions are expected in a specific area usually within 24 hours. Make a communication plan with your family by listing several meeting places. Designate a friend or relative that each family member can call or email in the event you cannot return to your home. Also designate an out-of-town contact since in some instances it may be easier to call out-of-state than locally.
AT WORK & SCHOOL:
Disseminate information to employees on what procedures they are to follow should a weather-related incident occur. Perform drills periodically and document and retain records of the types of drills performed. Records should include the type of drill, names of personnel that participated in the drill, the date of the drill and what modifications to the plan need to be made, if any. You may also want to include how long the drill took to complete, in case improvements are needed. The National Weather Service suggests retaining drill records for one year.
Conducting periodic drills give everyone the opportunity to evaluate what is working in their plan and to change what is not. Your life can depend on it!
For more information on reducing risk or any of our other services, please contact
Jeff Harrison at jeff.harrison@cbservices.org or 800.807.0300 ext 2543