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Showing posts with label Preparedness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Preparedness. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

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.
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Thursday, August 25, 2011

CDC Hurricane Website Has Helpful Hints

Logo of the Centers for Disease Control and Pr...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.
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Wednesday, July 13, 2011

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

Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico near i...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.
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Friday, June 17, 2011

OSHA's Tornado Preparedness & Response

Tornado Preparedness and Response - Copyright WARNING: Not all images on this Web site were created by the federal government. Some images may be the copyrighted property of others and used by the DOL under a license. Such content generally is accompanied by a copyright notice. It is your responsibility to obtain any necessary permission from the owner's of such material prior to making use of it. You may contact the DOL for details on specific content, but we cannot guarantee the copyright status of such items. Please consult the U.S. Copyright Office at the Library of Congress — http://www.copyright.gov — to search for copyrighted materials. 

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.   
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That Time of Year! Conferences, Posting Requirements, and OSHA Violations Increased!

It's that time of year again. We're between conferences.  February 15-16, 2024 was the Professional Abatement Contractors of New Yor...