When you’re getting started at a new construction site, hurricanes might not be the first thing you consider preparing for. However, during hurricane season, from June through November, it is essential to prepare if you are in an area prone to storms. You want to ensure you are prepared to keep the job site, construction equipment, and your team safe and protected before, during, and after a storm. That could mean setting up spill containment berms to keep oil from contaminating water or making sure your team is always properly informed. Before the next severe storm, here’s everything you need to know.
First Off, Keep You and Your Team Safe
The most important part of hurricane preparedness is keeping everyone on your team safe from any dangers. Equipment can be replaced and sites can be rebuilt, but your team’s safety should be your highest priority when preparing your construction site during hurricane season.
Design a detailed plan for how to respond when a hurricane or other severe storm strikes unexpectedly. This should include where your team should meet, how to communicate, and what safety measures you plan to take. Then, when the storm hits, you know everyone has the tools and knowledge they need to stay safe.
Always Be Cautious and Expect the Unexpected
It is always better to err on the side of caution during hurricane season. This means two things. First, you want to have all the gear you need to respond to many different situations. For a storm, this could be measures to prevent flooding, wind damage, or even environmental erosion. It could also mean having tools like a water storage bladder just in case your team is cut off from access to clean water. This way, they will have reliable access to drinking water no matter what.
The second aspect of being cautious is checking the weather forecast early and often to be ready for every possibility. It is better to prepare your site for a storm that doesn’t end up happening than to have a hurricane set you back by months because you weren’t prepared. It is much easier to take down unused safety equipment than it is to create an entire clean-up operation after a storm.
Have a Plan and Ensure Your Team Is Informed
Information and planning are key when it comes to responding to storms. Your team might be staffed with people from land-locked states, or they might simply be unfamiliar with how to optimize hurricane preparedness. That’s ok. What’s important is giving them all the knowledge they need. Create a document that lays out all the proper steps they need to take when a hurricane is headed your way. Make sure each team member understands and memorizes these steps and give them frequent opportunities to practice before a real storm. With the right information, they can be prepared for anything.
Flood Barriers Are Your Friend
As far as equipment goes, flood barriers like diversion tubes and sandbags are a must-have on any job site during hurricane season. Once you’re alerted to a storm, take this chance to set up barriers in critical areas. Keep your trailers safe from water. Divert floods away from structures. Make sure your dig sites aren’t eroded. In truth, you can never have too many diversion tubes on hand for a hurricane.
Prevent Contaminants From Reaching the Water
Protecting the surrounding environment is just as important as protecting your job site. You have a good number of machines and vehicles at your location, and it is important to make sure the hurricane doesn’t cause any unwanted leakage. If it does, keep some spill containment berms on hand. That way, you can minimize the area where fluid leaks, and you can keep the spill contained and controlled.
While you can never prevent all the damage caused by a hurricane, you can certainly minimize it. With proper preparation, your construction site can be ready to endure the worst, so your operation can be back up and running as quickly as possible.
About AIRE Environmental
When it comes to spill containment and water storage solutions, AIRE Environmental (formerly AIRE Industrial) is the perfect choice for your efforts. For over two decades, they’ve provided high-quality portable water bladders, flood control gear, spill containment berms, and more used in industries ranging from disaster response to chemical processing. AIRE Environmental is focused on giving your organization the best possible products to keep you, your team, the environment, and your community safe. Can’t find what you’re looking for? AIRE Environmental’s team of designers and skilled technicians can help create the perfect solution for your needs. From their base in Meridian, Idaho, USA, Aire Environmental is helping businesses across the country prepare for anything and everything.
Let AIRE Environmental help you prepare your work site for a hurricane at https://www.aireenvironmental.com/
Original Source: https://bit.ly/3QTqGAK
