Construction Law
Is Your Construction Site Safe From a Hurricane? Part 1
With devastating winds of over 100 miles per hour, storm surges that elevate over ten feet, and heavy rainfall that floods city streets and entire neighborhoods, when a hurricane is heading for landfall, everyone in the area needs to be prepared. For construction professionals, you must act swiftly and ensure your construction site is secure before you either hunker down or evacuate the area. In this four-part article, our Jacksonville construction attorneys will offer tips for securing your construction site before a hurricane strikes.
Safety Plan
Hurricane preparedness begins with implementing a safety plan. Hurricane alerts cause cities to panic and residents aren’t always afforded ample time to act before a natural disaster strikes. Because of the unpredictable nature of storms, construction site managers need to plan in advance and be prepared to act quickly. With a proactive safety plan, you can cross things off of the list as you go and ensure your workplace is secure in time for the upcoming storm.
Here are four vital elements related to developing a safety plan:
- Communication: Every team member needs to be informed of the hurricane safety plan and how to effectively prepare and secure the construction site. It’s important to review this plan with every person on the site.
- Organization: The plan should outline every task that needs to be accomplished and the safety precautions necessary to perform the work. In parts two and three of this article, a Jacksonville construction attorney will cover many of these specific tasks.
- Know the Risks: Depending on a project, your site may be vulnerable to more hurricane risks. For example, sites that are being renovated are more susceptible to the effects of a hurricane.
- Contact Information: There are many urgent tasks required to secure a project site, but it’s also important to consider the next step and have emergency contact information for your workers along with a list of service contacts that can assist you after the hurricane has passed.
Aftermath Safety Plan
As we will discuss in the final part of this series, although many of the safety plan objectives involve tasks prior to the arrival of the hurricane, it’s also important to train your workers on the potential hazards after a storm has passed. When assessing the damages after a hurricane, workers present need to understand that many hurricane-related deaths actually transpire after the storm has passed because of exposed electrical wiring or other hazards. Developing an effective safety plan encompasses everything from before the hurricane makes landfall to the cleanup and evaluation process during the aftermath.
If you would like to speak with a Jacksonville construction attorney, please contact us today.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general educational information only. This information does not constitute legal advice, is not intended to constitute legal advice, nor should it be relied upon as legal advice for your specific factual pattern or situation.