An earlier blog – “Hurricane Planning Shall Not Bend in the Wind” – covered five planning categories: prepare, train, respond, recover and learn. As Hurricane Michael steams toward the Florida Panhandle, he will make landfall later today as a Category 4 storm. In response to this potentially catastrophic event, we wanted to share the five planning categories again. We also wanted to share numerous (and useful) links to valuable storm-related resources. Is it best to have a plethora of information in one place? You bet it is!
Five [Hurricane] Planning Categories:
Prepare – Does your emergency action plan (EAP) account for hurricanes? Gather your managers, supervisors and front-line employees for a discussion about your current plan and check for necessary additions, changes, or updates needed.
"Failing to prepare is preparing to fail." - John Wooden
Train – Take time to practice your EAP with drills and scenario discussions. Test alarm and automated call or text systems, too. Hands-on training will allow your organization to succeed on so many levels, not the least of which will empower your employees to practice new skills and find ways to continuously improve overall.
"Confidence comes from discipline and training." - Robert Kiyosaki
Respond – Organizations should monitor reliable weather information for the latest details. Non-essential personnel need to remain at home until it is safe to travel back to work. If essential personnel must remain on-site, 3-5 days is key. Three to five days is the amount of supplies you need per employee.
"Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it." - Lou Holtz
Recover – Keep monitoring reliable weather information. Power outages, debris in streets, and flood waters are imminent. Employees exposed to excessive heat can quickly suffer from heat exhaustion or a heat stroke. Everyone should stay hydrated and rest frequently. Remember the hazard of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning if portable generators are put in place.
"After a storm comes a calm." - Matthew Henry
Learn – Gather your managers, supervisors and front-line employees post-storm to discuss your EAP’s successes and failures. Consider presenting your findings to the entire workforce. Involving employees everywhere in the learning process will result in the entire organization’s ability to survive the next storm.
"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other." - John F. Kennedy
Stay Current on Storm TRACKING
Click HURRICANE MICHAEL for the National Hurricane Center & NOAA.
Click HURRICANE MICHAEL for the Weather Channel & Hurricane Central.
LINKS to the 4-1-1
Click OSHA's Hurricane Preparedness to learn more from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Don’t forget to click OSHA's Flood Preparedness.
Click NIOSH to learn more from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Click READY for tips and associated content (links, PDFs, and videos) from Ready.gov.
Click RED to learn more from the American Red Cross.
Download the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) App
FEMA App on the App Store for iPhone – Click HERE
FEMA App on Google Play for Android – Click HERE
FEMA App on FEMA.gov – Click HERE
Safety and Storms
You must make it your mission to avoid a catastrophic blunder of leadership when a potential disaster races to disrupt your employees’ safety and health. We can help! Your safety… our focus. Safety matters most when dark clouds cast a shadow on your status quo and especially when flood waters rush to drown you in despair.
"It's about... Having the right people, with the right abilities, in the right place, at the right time." - Unknown
