Fundamentals of Business

Reduce Potential Damage

Prevent or reduce disaster damage in your facility by taking precautions, such as.

√ Bolting tall bookcases or display cases to wall studs.
√ Protecting breakable objects by securing them to a stand or shelf using hook and loop fasteners.
√ Moving to lower shelves large objects that could fall and break or injure someone.
√ Installing latches to keep drawers and cabinets from flying open and dumping their contents.
√ Using closed screw eyes and wire to securely attach framed pictures and mirrors to walls.
√ Using plumber's tape or strap iron to wrap around a hot water heater to secure it to wall studs.

You should also consider having a professional install

√ Flexible connectors to appliances and equipment fueled by natural gas.
√ Shutters that you can close to protect windows from damage caused by debris blown by a hurricane, tornado or severe storm.
√ Automatic fire sprinklers.

Protect Your Employees, Customers and Business

Designate one employee from each work shift to be the safety coordinator. This person will make all decisions relating to employee and customer safety and to the safety of the business itself. Safety coordinators should know how to contact the owner or operator at all times.

Everyone in your facility should know how to prepare for a disaster and what to do if a disaster occurs. Contact your local Red Cross chapter for specific information about how to stay safe in a tornado, earthquake, fire, flood, hurricane or other hazard.

You may also want to get a copy of the Emergency Management Guide for Business and Industry from your Red Cross chapter or http://www·redcross·org/ services/disaster/beprepared.

Another source of useful information is Open for Business, a booklet developed by the Institute for Business and Home Safety and the Small Business Administration. It is available at http://www·ibhs·org.