How EHS professionals can help organizations build resilient, proactive teams to ensure safety amid more intense hurricanes and other extreme weather risks.
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While EHS teams can’t change the weather, they can implement proactive measures to help reduce risks, as highlighted by the following expert input taken from The Situation Room series. One of the most effective ways to prepare for extreme weather events is through robust crisis planning. This involves more than just a checklist of things to do when an event happens. It’s about breaking down siloes, involving people from across the organization and shaping dynamic actions to prepare the workforce, infrastructure and supply chains to withstand the worst of conditions.
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Crisis planning should include clearly defined roles and responsibilities for employees at all levels, so that everyone knows what to do before, during and after a storm. Conducting regular emergency drills is crucial to keeping safety procedures top of mind and ensuring that workers can act quickly in a real crisis. Planning should also account for evacuation routes, shelter-in-place protocols and communication strategies to keep employees informed during a storm.
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Digital platforms can go beyond simply storing files; they can provide read receipts, control access, and ensure that plans are regularly reviewed and updated. Recurring reminders help keep documents current by prompting teams to review site maps, procedures or staff changes. Additionally, regular inspections and audits of both internal and external areas, such as berms for flood prevention, can be managed through technology, which reports issues and tracks corrective actions, proving readiness.
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Dealing with the aftermath of a storm can be just as challenging as preparing for the storm itself. EHS professionals should work with cross-functional departments to prioritize post-storm assessments that identify damage, guarantee worker safety, and resume operations as quickly and safely as possible. This includes coordinating with emergency services and conducting full inspections—not just of facilities but also surrounding areas—and watching for potentially deadly hazards, such as unstable branches in tree canopies. It’s also crucial to communicate safe return-to-work procedures and confirm workers have the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), such as waterproof gear for flood recovery or heat-protective clothing for extreme temperatures.