Is your facility fully prepared for a natural disaster like a hurricane or major storm? Studies show that the number of storms that reach Category Four and Five -- the most powerful, damaging hurricanes--has nearly doubled over the past 35 years. For any business or industrial facility in the path of a hurricane, the potential for significant damage, even devastation, is very real. The following checklist identifies five key areas of hurricane preparedness that are often overlooked, and will help you and your team develop a faster, more effective response.
Preparedness Checklist:
1. Open the Lines of Communication.
• Make sure that your entire organization is aware of and agrees to key decisions, procedures and implementations long before a hurricane or other disaster warning has been issued.
2. Conduct Rehearsals and Drills.
• Conduct regular plan reviews and stage tabletop rehearsals and mock disaster/spill drills with all employees to increase safety, ensure containment and minimize damage.
3. Test Emergency Response Equipment.
• Regular maintenance and testing should be considered standard operating procedure to help eliminate equipment failure in the event of an emergency.
4. Update Personal Staff Circumstances.
• Be aware of any changes in personal situations -- a residential move, family obligations or other potential conflicts -- that could affect staff readiness, availability and support.
5. Re-Contact and Query your Vendors.
• Ascertain that key vendors have disaster contingency plans of their own -- and confirm that their current management is familiar with your plan.
Expert Help When and Where you Need it Most.
Clean Harbors has the expertise and personnel to meet the needs of any natural disaster response, from hurricanes and earthquakes to floods, mudslides and fires.
Clean Harbors provides a single point of contact to help quickly connect you to a local emergency response service center anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. With a standby emergency response agreement in place with Clean Harbors, we can also offer on-site resources that can be pre-positioned in remote areas to contain and control releases while waiting for cleanup crews to arrive. For more information, call our 24-hour hotline at 800.645.8265.