Does Your Business Have a Plan In Case of a Tornado?

11/4/2019 (Permalink)

Does Your Business Have a Plan In Case of a Tornado?

Tornadoes are destructive and can leave cities and towns with unimaginable damage. Tornadoes develop with little to no warning, leaving families, homes and businesses vulnerable with very little time to react. Because of the vast destruction that a tornado is capable of causing it is important that your business is prepared and has a plan in place.

We have compiled a checklist for your business in the event of a tornado.

Before the Tornado

-Keep weather alert radios in all buildings

-Have a plan for providing emergency notification to all employees, clients, vendors and visitors.

-Put your plan in writing and distribute to all employees and departments.

-Conduct drills with employees to prepare.

-When establishing a timeline for preparation and closure for the workplace after an emergency, consider that employees will need to prepare and care for their families and any personal matters that might arise after as well. Always allow ample time for them to execute their personal plans.

-Always identify and speak with critical employees and department heads regarding expectations and duties. For example, many times there are IT functions that need to be established to protect and restore technology systems. If they are needed to work remotely be sure to establish travel, hotel and meal arrangements in advance and know what equipment that will be needed as well.

-Develop a contingency plan for any HR related functions. ie. Payroll, Benefits

-Update your employee contact information often.

During a Tornado

-Move employees to interior room or hallway.

-Stay away from windows

-Go to a pre-designated area. Get underneath tables and use arms to shield your head from debris.

After a Tornado

-Ensure that you are able to locate all employees

-Following the tornado, be sure to implement the plan that you put in place and notify all critical people of the next steps, based on the damage that has occurred.