A well-prepared job site has a safety plan in place for a natural disaster or significant storm. Disaster management plans are essential in nearly all construction projects, especially in areas that are prone to hurricanes and other types of repetitive and predictable storms. Before storm season comes, project managers should assess how the job site could be affected and plan not only to prepare for but face up to the worst. Managers should update the disaster management plan from the moment that there is an identified storm that is coming.
It is essential to have proper Security Access Doors for safety purposes in every job site, especially during storms or hurricanes. Through comprehensive planning, adequate communication, and quick efforts to clean up, job sites can be safer in any disastrous storm or the wake of catastrophe.
Make a Communication Plan
Communicating with property owners, local agencies, and trade partners is a significant factor in implementing a good disaster management plan for storms and hurricanes. Some owners and trade partners might not be local. They may not have any experience in hurricanes, so it is the contractor's responsibility to ensure everyone understands the potential hazard or damage that might occur and communicate everyone's role.
Detailed plans should be made in various time frames before, during, and after, starting 72 hours before the projected hit of the storm. As the storm approached, all parties needed to stay updated on FEMA announcements.
Secure Site
Every project site is different, so it is difficult to identify the location of the construction area and think of all possible ways they could be damaged. Once the disaster plan is set and the whole team reviewed the potential hazards, the next step is to prepare and secure the construction site by identifying any hazardous objects that have a possibility that could become airborne when the storm or hurricane strikes. It includes ensuring dumpsters are empty, tying down equipment, and relocating other equipment into a safer area.
Removing materials that could become airborne during strong winds is critical to lower the risk of damage. A project site surrounded by finished structures has higher variables to consider than a standalone site.
Enhancing Security with the Use of an Access Panel
Having an access panel can enhance security during a natural disaster. This panel can be open quickly and provide access to hard-to-reach areas and allow occasional access to make repairs in emergencies. And access door offers easy access to gas, electricity, water, HVAC, and telecommunication compartments that need to be in operational mode during a storm. If the access panel installed is fire-rated, it protects and isolates the box to avoid spreading fire during natural disasters.
Secure Hazardous Chemicals
Another step is to ensure that any hazardous chemicals are moved to a safer place and secured. Before a natural disaster, construction firms should take action and make sure that they have a qualified team to handle hazardous waste management programs.
Ensure Your Structure's Security
After securing the project site perimeter, it is also essential to ensure the project's structure. If the job is a renovation -- or if the job is new building progress, to the point that water can damage the interior -- crews should put any openings and access windows and put sandbags around the area.
Get First Responder Clearance
One of the essential steps most company job sites overlook during hurricane preparations is to obtain first responder official clearance for that particular job site. This clearance will ensure that the designated workers can access the job site after the storm passes. Otherwise, workers cannot return to the job site and have to wait for the proper clearance. To obtain a first responder clearance, the general contractor and property owner should work directly with the National Guard. Having a first responder team can lower the ultimate clean-up cost efforts and help mitigate the damage.
To learn how to make your job site more storm-resilient, ask us about our security access doors and feel free to visit us at https://www.accessdoorsandpanels.com/.
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