How To

4 Tips for National Preparedness Month

September is National Preparedness Month, and does your company have a plan for risk mitigation and business continuity? Here are four things to know to get your construction sites or outdoor event spaces prepared for the season. Being prepared goes beyond summer storms and hurricanes, although we see these each year. It also includes events such as blizzards, tornadoes, wildfires, and other natural and man-made events that leave your sites vulnerable. Improve overall preparedness with these ideas.

Be Aware

Every region has their own seasonal events that cause damage – be knowledgeable about the risks in your area. It could be hurricanes, tornados, fire risks or extreme weather conditions during summer or winter. Risk assessment is a key part of any business, and your company should conduct a business impact analysis every few years to keep it current. If you’re new to an area, be aware of local dangers and keep an eye on weather conditions. Keep an eye out for warnings and news, so your crew isn’t caught by surprise.

Make a Plan for Safety

Does your company have a plan to contact workers and ensure they’re safe? Do they know proper evacuation routes, if applicable, and do you have a written emergency plan for them to reference? Communicate with crews early and often to make sure they know how to stay safe when storms or wildfires are expected. You can easily share these useful preparedness checklists in English and Spanish.

Begin with Disaster Recovery in Mind

While making your safety plan, also keep business continuity in mind. Our Market Development Director wrote an article on the key steps to disaster recovery. There are several hazard mitigation and business continuity resources listed in the article, and it’s helpful to build relationships with your insurance provider and a reliable waste vendor before a disaster occurs.

Exercise Patience

In the aftermath of a disaster, crews will be working around the clock in sometimes unsafe situations. It will likely be difficult to get power restored, and there will almost certainly be a shortage of dumpsters, portable toilets, and other temporary site services. We often call on vendors in other areas to bring units to affected areas, but it can take time for them to arrive. Also keep in mind these shortages and longer delivery distances cause costs to increase, and rental prices will be higher due to demand.

We’ve been helping people through recovery efforts for more than a decade. Whether it’s National Preparedness Month or not, when you need assistance, reach out to our team. We’ll do the best we can to find reliable temporary site services for your company.