Preparing Your Staff for Impending Weather | SERVPRO of Sumter

6/16/2023 (Permalink)

As a business owner, you know what calls to make when extreme weather hits. If you're affected by a storm, call SERVPRO of Sumter to help!

Preparation is part of your everyday life as a business owner. You are constantly getting ready for the next big thing and making sure your staff members are being safe and taken care of.

While your efforts are probably focused on your workplace environment, it is important to plan for weather emergencies as well! A single severe storm can cause widespread damages and can create a dangerous situation for your employees if they are not prepared to take action.

Using these tips below, you can ensure your staff will know what to do in the face of a weather emergency and everyone can stay safe no matter what is going on outside.

Understanding the Risk Level of Situations

Assessing weather threats is the first step to creating an action plan. In the Sumter area, most of your planning should revolve around storm preparation! We see heavy rain and high winds, and we are even in a moderate risk zone for hurricanes during the summer and fall months.

Because of that, it is also important to prepare for the chance of flooding. Organizing your business so you can easily pull things from your lowest levels and purchasing flood insurance can help you avoid costly damages. Keep an eye on the forecast each week so you know what to expect and you can prepare ahead of time.

Your Communication Strategy

Communicating is one of the most crucial parts of any emergency. Your staff need to know where to go, when to get there and how! Thankfully, all of this can happen with a click of a button.

Set up a group chat or an email chain so that you can easily send a message to your entire crew. In the event of a true emergency, this will help ensure your staff react quickly but calmly and will allow them to take action right away. You can also use this as an easy way to reconnect after the storm passes.

Planning Your Escape Route or Sheltering Location

It is your job to help your staff stay safe, so having a plan in place for a possible evacuation during a weather disaster is critical. Make sure your team knows where to go by highlighting evacuation routes, and clearly label any exits so that your staff can quickly recognize them in an emergency.

On the other hand, staying in the safety of your building might be the best course of action. In this instance, ensure your staff know which room is your safe shelter location and prepare the area now with food, safe drinking water and an emergency kit.

In order to keep your team calm as you are ushering them out through your evacuation routes or are hunkering down together in your sheltering location, practicing these strategies is crucial! If your team knows where to go and what to do, everyone will be calm, safe and confident as they ride out the storm.

Don’t let extreme weather take control! If storms strike your business, SERVPRO can help you restore your losses.