For employers, preparation for hurricane season requires more than securing bottled water and batteries to wait out the storm. It requires an emergency action plan which clearly sets forth the company’s procedures in the event of a hurricane. This plan should include the preferred means for communicating with employees, an updated contact list, shut-down procedures, evacuation routes, risk assessments for hazards that may be faced following a storm as well as guidelines for the closure of the employer’s physical location. The emergency action plan should be routinely updated and reviewed with each employee when changes are made.
Employers should also be cognizant of the recent updates to the forecast system put in place by the National Hurricane Center and the National Weather Center.
