Severe Weather

(Lightning, high winds, flooding, heat, cold, snow)

Hazadabpt guide:  https://haz.guide/111

Response:

  • Heat
    • Hydrate
    • Monitor work/rest level
    • Avoid sunshine/create shade
    • Monitor health of animals
  • Lightning
    • Avoid contact with corded devices or electrical equipment
    • Avoid contact with plumbing
    • Stay away from windows
    • Avoid tall objects/natural lightning rods
    • Take shelter in a sturdy building
    • Take shelter in an automobile. Avoid touching metal surfaces.
  • High Winds
    • Seek shelter indoors
      • Move away from glass windows
      • Avoid blowing debris
    • Secure loose objects that may blow away
    • Identify safe areas to move to incase the winds become extreme
  • Flooding
    • Monitor area for rising water
    • Do not drive through flooded areas
    • Do not walk through moving water
    • Do not park near steams or other waterways
  • Winter Storms (ice/snow/cold)
    • Stay indoors during the storm. Monitor weather service forecasts
    • Dress appropriately
      • Dress in layers
      • Keep dry
    • Open cabinet doors/office doors to allow heat to circulate in closed spaces
    • Unless pre-approved, DO NOT burn materials inside of buildings to create heat (e.g. kerosene heaters, BBQs, candles)

Recovery:

  • Check on welfare of fellow employees/students/visitors
  • Review work place for post-incident damage. Contact Work Coordination Center (737-2969) to request repair
  • Review incident response and adjust response plan if necessary

Mitigation:

  • Conduct risk analysis of [College/School/Department name] outside operations
  • Develop personnel safety threshold criteria for automatic protective actions
  • Develop incident safety threshold criteria for automatic cancelation or implementation of protective actions
  • Review [College/School/Department name] weather related events and their impact upon operations

Preparedness:

  • Review work plan and weather response criteria prior to outside work
  • Know how to reach the nearest safe area for a weather incident
  • Obtain appropriate response equipment for weather related events
  • Review weather related information to better prepare for events