In light of the recent battery of hurricanes in the southern regions of our nation, RockRoadRecycle.com thought it would be a good time to review the importance of flood preparedness. Even those of us who do not live and work in traditional hurricane zones can benefit from some common sense guidelines to be prepared for heavy rains and resulting flood waters.

Having an evacuation plan in place before a flood occurs can help avoid confusion and prevent injuries and property damage. The following safety guidance may be helpful:

Planning

• Establish a chain of command
• Review the plan with workers
• Establish emergency functions and who will perform them
• Develop specific evacuation procedures, including routes and exits
• Establish procedures to account for personnel, customers, and visitors
• Establish storage procedures for equipment

Preparation

• Stock up on emergency supply kits
• Stock up on non-perishable food and bottled water
• Keep plenty of cash on hand, credit and ATM machines may be out of service

Training

• Ensure that all workers know what to do in case of an emergency.
• Practice evacuation plans on a regular basis.
• Update plans and procedures based on lessons learned from exercises.

Source: Scrapyard Safety Training/www.ISRISafety.org