CDC Website Discusses Earthquakes

The Centers for Disease Control has updated their Emergency Preparedness and Response website with information on surviving an Earthquake.  Considering we had a small one on the east coast this year, that we even felt on Long Island, it is important to be prepared and knowledgeable about what to do.  The website discusses the things you can do before, during, and after the earthquake.  The key point of the website is that in MOST situations, you will reduce your chance of injury from falling objects (and even building collapse) if you immediately: 

The website discusses emergency supplies, and inspecting the home for hazards.  One of the more interesting suggestions is the following from "Inspecting Home for Hazards:"  - Check to see if your house or garage is securely fastened to the foundation. (If your house was built before 1950, it probably does not have bolts securing the wood structure to the concrete foundation.)  If your house is not secured to the foundation, take the following steps:

• Using a hammer drill and carbide bit, drill a hole through the sill plate into the foundation. Holes should be approximately 6 feet apart.
• Drop a 1/2- x 7-inch expansion bolt into each hole and finish by tightening the nut and washer

We suggest you visit the website, so you can be prepared, just in case we get a more severe earthquake, next time.

Related articles

• OSHA's Tornado Preparedness & Response (futureenv.blogspot.com)
• CDC Hurricane Website Has Helpful Hints (futureenv.blogspot.com)
• CDC Providing Resourses for Hurricane Preparedness (futureenv.blogspot.com)
• If a Natural Disaster Occurred, Are You Ready to Help?" (futureenv.blogspot.com)

CDC Hurricane Website Has Helpful Hints

Image via Wikipedia

As the east coast prepares for Hurricane Irene, it is important to remember that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has a Hurricane Helpful Hints website.  The current topic is "What You Need to Know When the Power Goes Out Unexpectedly."  This topic covers food safety, safe drinking water, extreme heat or cold, first aid for electrical shock, powerline hazards and cars, avoid carbon monoxide, safety at work during power recovery, be prepared for an emergency, and the impact of power outage on vaccine storage. 
If your looking for a list of emergency supplies you should have on hand, the CDC and Red Cross put together a list at the CDC website for Emergency Preparedness and Response - Get a Kit.  From that website is the following list of items you should assemble:

• Water—one gallon per person, per day (3­day supply for evacuation, 2­week supply for home)
• Food—non­perishable, easy­to­prepare items (3­day supply for evacuation, 2­week supply for home)
• Flashlight
• Battery­powered or hand­crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
• Extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Medications (7­day supply) and medical items
• Multi­purpose tool
• Sanitation and personal hygiene items
• Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
• Cell phone with chargers
• Family and emergency contact information
• Extra cash
• Emergency blanket
• Map(s) of the area

Hope this helps everyone prepare.  Remember be safe, careful, and cautious.

Related articles

• CDC Providing Resourses for Hurricane Preparedness (futureenv.blogspot.com)
• Hurricane Irene Batters Smaller Islands Of Bahamas (huffingtonpost.com)
• How to prepare for a hurricane (news.blogs.cnn.com)
• Bloomberg to NYers: Plan ahead for Hurricane Irene (sfgate.com)
• Staying Ahead Of The Storm: What You Need To Know If Severe Weather Hits (newyork.cbslocal.com)
• OSHA's Tornado Preparedness & Response (futureenv.blogspot.com)
• If a Natural Disaster Occurred, Are You Ready to Help?" (futureenv.blogspot.com)

If a Natural Disaster Occurred, Are You Ready to Help?"

Image via Wikipedia

The June issue of the Environmental Marketer Newsletter written by Paul Cochrane, of Cochrane and Associates, asks -"If a Natural Disaster Occurred Tomorrow, Would Your Environmental Business Be Ready to Help?"  Considering 2011 has been a historic year for natural disasters, we've seen everything from flooding, tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires, and tsunamis.  With hurricane season just starting and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicting this season as being above average with as many as 10 hurricanes.  Is your business prepared to help is an appropriate question.
Unfortunately, when tragedy hits for some people,it leads to opportunities for others.  This article discusses how these opportunities will only come your way if your business is prepared.  In defining prepared, this article is not talking about logistics of handling work but rather what are you doing to market yourself and make sure you are the one being called upon to provide the services or products needed.
So how do you position an environmental or IAQ business for something that hasn't even happened? Here are a few marketing and public relations concepts, from Mr. Cochrane, that can help:

• Online content - Develop information for the company website for dealing with various natural disasters.  
• Online videos - Similar to the concept above, create and post on the company website, as well as on YouTube, online videos about preventing and managing natural disasters.
• Marketing Collateral - Have materials ready and available to hand out that deal with all the natural disasters found in the areas your company services. 

The following was just a summation of the article visit http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs067/1102452067835/archive/1106250374002.html for further information.  Be prepared and be safe this season.

Related articles

• Fleeing natural disasters (search.japantimes.co.jp)
• Safeguarding Your Finances Against Natural Disasters (askthemoneycoach.com)
• U.S. City Most Prone to Natural Disasters (ldsemergencypreparedness.wordpress.com)
• Life360 App Helps You Track Others During Natural Disasters (brighthub.com)
• Asbestos Dangers Crop Up In Japan's Disaster (futureenv.blogspot.com)
• CDC Providing Resourses for Hurricane Preparedness (futureenv.blogspot.com)
• 6 months in and costliest year already (echlinm.wordpress.com)
• NYT: Drought in 14 states means disaster for many - US news - The New York Times - msnbc.com (livingstrongandhappy.blogspot.com)

OSHA's Tornado Preparedness & Response

 

First the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) create a website (click here for the CDC site) to help with preparedness for hurricanes and storms, now the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a website for Tornado Preparedness and Response.  The tornado preparedness and response site focuses on being prepared by developing an emergency plan and creating checklists (the checklist link brings you to the Red Cross website).  While on the response side it discusses employer responsibilities and potential hazards such as:

• Hazardous driving conditions due to slippery and/or blocked roadways
• Slips and falls due to slippery walkways
• Falling and flying objects such as tree limbs and utility poles
• Sharp objects including nails and broken glass
• Electrical hazards from downed power lines or downed objects in contact with power lines
• Falls from heights
• Burns from fires caused by energized line contact or equipment failure
• Exhaustion from working extended shifts
• Heat and Dehydration.

A pretty good website to help you in dealing with the numerous tornados we are encountering this year.   

Related articles

• emergency preparedness (teensread.wordpress.com)
• Emergency Preparations (crackerboy.us)
• CDC Providing Resourses for Hurricane Preparedness (futureenv.blogspot.com)
• OSHA at 40 (futureenv.blogspot.com)
• OSHA: Theater Inspections To Include Emergency Plan Review (newyork.cbslocal.com)