7 ways to mitigate risk for businesses before the next natural disaster

If your company wasn’t impacted by Hurricane Matthew or the subsequent flooding, consider yourself fortunate.

But, it doesn’t mean you’re off the hook completely as more storms continue to brew while the calendar moves from autumn to winter. In fact, driven by El Nino, warm ocean currents are creating severe weather conditions in all parts of the country.

For example, in 2015, approximately 10.1 million acres burned in wildfires in the United States, compared to 3.8 million the previous year. Meanwhile, winter storms caused an estimated $3.5 billion in insured losses in 2016, up from $2.6 billion in 2014.

The following information is not intended to be all inclusive, but it should get you thinking about everyday conditions in your workplace. Here are 7 things you can do now that potentially could save you from significant financial hardship or worse:

Diverse team meeting around conference table

(Photo: iStock)

1. Plan your emergency response

Establish an emergency response team with participants from all parts of your organization.
Ensure that your business keeps a stash of nonperishable food, two-way radios, stored drinking water, flashlights and batteries, first-aid supplies, and boots, gloves, hard hats and dry clothing. Communicate where these items are to your emergency response team.
Store a supply of plywood, plastic tarps, and caution construction tape for future use.
Conduct disaster management drills to ensure all members of the team and all employees know their responsibilities.

(Photo: iStock)

2. Work with local government officials in advance

File a copy of your emergency response plan with local law enforcement officials, and provide them with new versions as you update them.
Ensure that the local government’s emergency response team has contact information for your organization, and provided updated contacts as your team members change roles or leave the company.

(Photo: iStock)

3. Maintain emergency equipment

Check emergency generator and fire pump fuel tanks regularly to ensure they are full.
Test emergency generators and engine-driven fire pumps regularly for proper automatic start. Generators should be test-run under load.
Check roof-mounted equipment to ensure it is connected securely to the building's structural steel. Bolts and guide wires should be tight and free from rust and corrosion.
Check roof drains to ensure that they are clear and able to drain off heavy rains. Have repairs made to any portion of the roof covering that appears loose, bubbled, or otherwise weakened.

Backup in green on computer key

(Photo: iStock)

4. Secure data and files

Duplicate important records and papers, and store them in a secure location.
Back-ups of important computer records also should be kept current and in a secure location, preferably off-site and in a hurricane-safe area.
Confirm that your third-party vendor or cloud provider is prepared for any disaster, manmade or natural.

Worker inspecting factory equipment

(Photo: iStock)

5. Patrol the facility during the emergency

The emergency response team should continually patrol the facility as long as it is safe to do so. In addition, the team should:

Monitor equipment and ensure that it’s operating correctly.
Watch for structural damage and make repairs as necessary.
Watch for causes of fire (for example, electrical short circuits), and take corrective action as needed.
Check sprinkler water pressures frequently and watch for loss of pressure.
Watch for flooding from rain or tidal surge and deploy sandbags as necessary.
Require employees to use hand sanitizer, sunblock and insect repellant, as appropriate for conditions.

Safety meeting

(Photo: iStock)

6. Reinforce workplace safety

After the workplace has resumed normal operations, be sure you reinforce standard safety measures:

Conduct daily safety briefings that discuss hazards and controls. Identify and eliminate or control existing or potential hazards that were discovered after the disaster.
Train employees to be aware of stress from extreme temperatures of heat or cold as well as fatigue.
Conduct ergonomic assessments to ensure that employees are using proper lifting techniques and body mechanics. Provide material handling equipment to minimize or eliminate manual material handling.
Review administrative controls, such as limiting the amount of time employees are exposed to hazardous conditions,
Rotate jobs as appropriate to minimize exposures and to ensure that more than one employee is trained to handle dangerous situations.
Insist on proper personal hygiene and sanitation. Provide areas where employees can clean up after their shifts.

(Photo: iStock)

7. Inspect safety equipment and controls

Confirm that engineering controls such as guardrails for fall protection, lockout tag-out to control electrical hazards, and exhaust ventilation to minimize exposure to airborne hazards are in place and in good repair.
Insist that employees wear personal protective equipment (PPE) like steel-toe and slip-resistant footwear, hardhats, eye protection, high visibility clothing, gloves, hearing protection, dust masks or respiratory protection and personal flotation devices (PFD), as appropriate. Inspect the equipment regularly to ensure that it’s in good condition at all times.
Require employees to use fall protection equipment (covers, guardrails or a personal fall-arrest system), and train employees how to use the equipment correctly when they will encounter fall hazards of greater than six feet in the workplace.
Provide ladders appropriate for specific tasks and corresponding ladder safety training.
Inspect exposure controls and monitor air quality for airborne hazards such as mold, asbestos and lead.
Require employees to use double-insulated power tools with ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCI).

Robert Meyers is senior vice president, property-casualty leader, USI Insurance Services. You can reach Rob at [email protected] or at 914-749-8529.

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