Washington state experiences more than 1,000 earthquakes a year. While only about a dozen of these are strong enough to feel, the U.S. Geological Survey ranks most of the state in the medium to highest risk categories. This risk poses a significant threat to your business and your employees.
In fact, on average, medium-sized businesses that close due to a natural disaster lose $23,000 per day. Moreover, 75% of businesses without a continuity plan will fail within three years following a natural disaster such as an earthquake. While you can’t prevent a natural disaster from affecting your business, you can mitigate the risks by participating in the Great ShakeOut. Read on to learn all about the Great ShakeOut and how it helps protect your business and your people.
The Great ShakeOut is an international earthquake preparedness drill during which millions of people practice what to do during an earthquake. This year's International ShakeOut Day is October 17th at 10:17 am local time. At present, over 52 million people are registered for this event worldwide, with over 1.2 million of them in Washington State alone, making this the largest earthquake drill in the world. You can join in and register your event at www.shakeout.org.
Each of these are vital steps for ensuring your business survives an actual natural disaster.
To get the maximum benefit out of the Great ShakeOut, there are vital steps to take before, during, and after this earthquake preparedness exercise.
Secure your space by examining each of the following:
Educate your team on the following:
At 10:17 am on October 17th, conduct the following drill:
After completing the emergency preparedness drill for your business, conduct the following after-action items:
If this is your first year participating in the Great ShakeOut, you may be unsure how to prepare or to improve your preparedness for disaster. Thankfully, there are several resources available to help guide you through this process. The best place to start is with Ready.Gov (a Great ShakeOut partner). They've put together the Ready Business Quakesmart Toolkit, a free ebook that walks you through the entire process of emergency preparedness for your business, from identifying risk to developing a natural disaster plan for your business to creating a natural disaster business continuity plan to ensure your organization won't fail in the aftermath of a catastrophe.
As you work through the Ready Business Quakesmart Toolkit, be sure to reference the OSHA requirements for emergency preparedness. These standards vary by industry and span a wide array of emergency situations, both natural and manufactured. Depending on your business, they require a number of emergency materials, like first aid and spill kits, and infrastructural items, such as eye washes. If you need help determining which items you need, contact us for a safety assessment of your facility.
Early in my career, I worked for a contractor who instilled a powerful principle in me: "No amount of profit is worth not sending my employees home every day." This philosophy stuck with me throughout my career and is central to why we at Mid Columbia Forklift prioritize safety above all other things.
A small investment in safety could mean the difference between sending your crew home or sending condolences after a disaster. If you need any assistance with rack inspections, first-aid kids, spill kits, or other warehouse safety items, please reach out. We will set up a meeting with one of our safety experts who can assist in providing your facility with the proper equipment. To learn more about business emergency preparedness, contact us online or visit one of our locations.
Auburn 253-854-5438
Pasco 509-547-7413
Wenatchee 509-663-9009
Yakima 509-457-5137
Further Reading
Forklift Safety Tips: Loading and Unloading Trailers
5 Key Steps to Warehouse Safety for Seasonal Hires During Peak Season
4 More Tips For Loading Dock Safety