SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY

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Employee Safety Training
SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY
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FREQUENCIES

• The U.S. experiences an average of 1000 Tornadoes
  each year.
• Most are confined to Tornado Alley

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Tornado Strength
F-0 40-72 mph, chimney damage, tree
branches brokenF-1 73-112 mph, mobile
homes pushed off foundation or overturnedF-2
113-157 mph, considerable damage, mobile
homes demolished, trees uprootedF-3
158-205 mph, roofs and walls torn down, trains
overturned, cars thrownF-4
207-260 mph, well-constructed walls leveledF-5
261-318 mph, homes lifted off foundation
and carried considerable distances, autos
thrown as far as 100 meters
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TORNADO MYTHS

• Opening windows to equalize pressure
• Tornadoes never strike city areas
• The Southwest corner of a building or basement is
  the safest.

St. Louis is just one of many cities to be hit.
Its just that cities make up only a very small
of land mass
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TORNADO WATCHES / WARNINGS

• Tornado WATCH
• Simply means that conditions are right for severe
  weather however, there is no current severe
  weather present.
• Tornado WARNING
• A Tornado has been spotted or is indicated on
  radar. IMMEDIATE ACTION is needed to protect
  yourself. DO NOT LOOK OUT THE WINDOW to see it.

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TORNADO WATCHES / WARNINGS

• Warning times
• Although designed to give the greatest amount of
  time before severe weather strikes, there is no
  set time and/or guarantee that you have a set
  amount of time.

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Tornadoes Hazards Preparation Priorities
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HAZARDS

• The obvious
• High winds
• Up to and including total building destruction
• Lightning
• Flying objects
• Hail and heavy rains

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HAZARDS

• The Not-So Obvious
• Downed, energized electrical lines in and out
  of buildings
• Assume all lines are energized
• Electric lines can energize other objects such as
  fences, steel beams etc.
• Leaking gas or chemical lines
• Sharp objects
• Long span buildings are very prone to collapse.

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PREPARATION

• Develop written Emergency Plan in advance
• Shelter locations
• Emergency alerting
• Accountability
• Weather watching
• Weather radios etc.

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PREPARATION

• Develop a Business Recovery Plan
• Needed Sections
• Incident Management
  Response
• Shutdown
  Inspections
• Recovery
  Restoration
• Critical data / programs backup
• Supplier shortage effects / stopping supplies
• Post incident contacts
• Insurance, customers, suppliers, employees

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PREPARATION

• Emergency supplies / equipment
• Portable lighting
• Roll plastic / tarps
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Medical supplies

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PREPARATION

• Shelter selection / preparation
• Must be well marked
• Structurally sound
• Free of windows
• Easy Access

In high rise buildings, go to an interior small
room or hallway with not exterior walls and or
glassy areas.
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PREPARATION

• Employee Training
• Where to go
• How will they be alerted
• What to do after the event
• Post event hazards to be aware of

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PRIORITIES

• Personnel accountability
• Must account for all employees, contractors and
  visitors
• If lacking a plan of action, assigned shelters
  etc. this will become virtually impossible
• Assisting injured persons
• Remember that EMS services could easily be
  overwhelmed making your problem less of a
  priority to them

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PRIORITIES

• Facility safety / hazard inspection
• Inspect for and isolate hazards to allow recovery
  work to begin
• Facility security
• Guard against unauthorized entry / material
  removal
• Student/Staff Notification

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LIGHTNING HAZARDS
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LIGHTNING

• Lightning causes approximately 100 deaths per
  year in the United States.
• Most could have been avoided had persons followed
  some simple safety rules.
• Remember that lighting can travel many miles from
  its point of origin.
• It does not have to be raining and/or completely
  cloudy to be struck.

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LIGHTNING

• Remember, If you can hear the thunderbolt, you
  are close enough to be struck by the lighting
• Find shelter in a car or building
• Avoid using the telephone or electrical
  appliances
• Stay away from windows if possible or pull down
  shades or blinds
• Stay away from trees or tall objects, Make
  yourself Small

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LIGHTNING

• If someone is struck by lightning
• They do not become Electrified and you can
  touch them
• Immediately call 911 for help
• Begin CPR if necessary
• Remember that they may also be badly burned
  and/or have bone fractures
• About 1/2 of persons struck will be killed