Wherever part of the world you may live, you are likely to encounter a typhoon of some kind from time to time. Of course, there are specific places more prone to typhoons. There are also typhoons which are deadly and could cause great damage, not only to crops and infrastructures but also to human beings.
If meteorologists forecast that a strong typhoon is coming, it is not enough for us to just sit at home and watch TV. If the typhoon is strong enough, you won’t even be able to watch TV because of electricity blackouts. Typhoons are just one of the ways nature demonstrates its power, you should take precautionary measures to avoid any untoward incidents during the typhoon.
Although different kinds of typhoons in different places may bring different kinds of danger, there are some basic emergency preparations that you can do. To ensure your safety, familiarize yourself with the kinds of typhoons that hit the area where you live or are visiting and with the local government’s safety rules and regulations.
Once the National Weather Service have broadcasted that a typhoon will possibly hit your area, immediately start your emergency typhoon preparations. Here are a few things you can do before a typhoon arrives.
1. Fix any broken doors and windows. Make sure that there are no objects which could obstruct the entrance, just in case you may need to evacuate. Tape your big glass windows which can be potentially shattered by road signs, tree branches and other things.
2. If the place where you live always had problems with floods and a great typhoon is expected, move to an evacuation center in a higher ground even before the water levels reach a meter high. You should also park your car in a higher ground. Do not leave it in your garage because it can be carried by strong floods and cause bigger disasters.
3. Since it wouldn’t be wise to be loitering around during typhoons and convenience shops are possibly closed, store enough food and water for a few days. Power and water connections might also stop, so you might as well prepare a lot of candles, batteries, rain coats and thick blankets to keep you warm.
4. Make sure that all items in your backyard or balcony are fixed. If any of those items can possibly be flown by strong winds, better store them inside for the meantime. Also, remove rooftop construction accessories, if any, as these can be detached and may break other people’s windows.
5. Ensure that all water drains in your home are clean to avoid clogged drainage systems which can cause a lot of water problems.
6. Listen to news about the typhoon. If the power is down, make sure that you have a battery-powered radio so you are still updated on what is happening, and know if in case there is an emergency evacuation program. Listening to the news will also keep you informed when the typhoon is expected to stop.
Even if it already seems clear outside, do not leave you home unless you have confirmed that the typhoon is not coming back. It is possible that your area is just experiencing the eye of the typhoon. When the eye of typhoon passes, there are no rains or strong winds.
After the typhoon, do not forget to fix whatever has been damaged. Check that no water is leaking into your home. There are still a lot of accidents which can happen because of not taking enough responsibilities of the effects of the typhoon.
First things first, the fact of the matter is that there are great benefits to be had when there is guidance and ample preparation in cases of an emergency.
Planning and preparation helps industries and corporation discover any hazardous problems or conditions that could be unrecognized and if not paid attention to could possibly aggravate a situation.
When there is preparation, deficiencies are immediately brought to light.
Some of these deficiencies could include resource-lack (e.g. lack of personnel that are adequately trained, lack of supplies, lack of equipment, to name a few). Knowing these details beforehand helps correct any lack in the soonest possible time.
It also prevents major losses and casualties as well as financial organizational collapse.
Another advantage of preparing for an industrial emergency is that it helps promote appropriate safety and awareness among the workers as well as present a company that is concerned with the welfare of all its staff.
The following are some of the needed steps designed to assist industrial plants as well as businesses in preparing for any type of emergency.
Establish a team
As much as possible, set-up a good planning team. A leader as well as a staff must be chosen as based on their appropriate capabilities and skills.
Particular tasks should also be assigned to teams or individuals.
Analyze hazards and capabilities
It is also important to assess the preparations the industrial plant or the organization currently has against risks such as power failure, damage in structures, among others.
In an emergency such as flooding, contacting the manager of the local floodplain as well as other flood officials helps organization and industries learn the risks involved.
Using building materials that are flood-resistant, erecting a physical barrier as well as anchoring structures and tanks is one of the ways to prepare in advance for flood emergencies.
Meanwhile, preparing against high winds is by reinforcing the roof as well as the side panels. Covering windows is also important, covering the doors and removing any objects that are loose from the industrial plant’s site is a must.
Have a backup
As much as possible, have a backup emergency power such as a battery storage, power and heat system combined. It is also vital that contact utility info be obtained in case of a power outage.
The plan should be developed
It is important that there is a plan developed during, before as well as after a particular emergency. Protocols should be established for the welfare of the employees, especially their safety and similarly the readiness of the site.
Emergency power should also be updated as well as the options for power supply. Communication emergency systems must also be established.
Responsibilities for each staff with regards to the recovery, shutdown and restart procedure should be outlined.
An evacuation plan should also be developed including employee support. Procedures on shutting down the utility and the safe processing of operations is a necessity.
Methods in protecting records, inventory and materials must also be developed.
Plan implementation
Staying in touch with the operations emergency center on your own state is important.
In this stage, the appropriate preparation, shutdown, emergency backup and evacuation should be started.
All in all, the final stage is the recovery process and the assessment of the damages brought by the emergency as well as in prioritizing needed repairs. Hopefully, the procedures above helps in the adequate preparation of industries and organization.
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