Protect Your Business and Employee before a Tornado Strikes June 22, 2008
The last couple of months my area has experience many tornado warnings and tornado watches. When tornadoes strike, businesses can suffer but there are steps business owners as well as employees can take to prevent injury and damage. If your business is in an area where tornadoes are prevalent be sure to provide your employees with a safety sheet of what to do during a tornado. Consider the following tips when creating your own safety information:
Go to the safest place to wait out the storm — usually the basement or a tornado shelter.
If you have no cellar or basement, take shelter in a small room in the center of your business on the lowest floor. A restroom, closet, office or maintenance room would be the safest area.
Protect yourself from flying debris; wrap yourself in overcoats or blankets, if possible.
If your business is located in a high-rise building and you can't get to a basement, go to interior hallway areas and stay away from glass walls and windows, no matter how small.
Structures with wide-span roofs, such as auditoriums, theaters and warehouses, are particularly vulnerable, and should be avoided.
Your business insurance policy will cover damage to your business property and equipment. Also consider adding extra coverage for business interruption, in case you ever needed to close up shop for a while to recover from a disaster.
