Preparedness for natural disaster saves employee lives
September 25, 2004The recent hurricane news reminded me to tell this lesser-known severe weather story from central Illinois back in July. This photo shows what was a modern medium-sized manufacturing plant:
This story came to my attention because my wife’s family is from the county where this tornado touched down and swept across this manufacturing plant, turning it to rubble. Its strength peaked precisely where the plant was located! I’ve driven by this plant many times; it was a typical modern sheet metal exterior industrial building, just like millions of warehouses and plants all over America.
All employees survived unharmed (in basement restrooms, I believe), but only because the company had implemented excellent safety procedures and drills. Clearly, scores could have died or been severely injured.
Read on for the amazing story, more photos, and links that will help ensure your workplace is as well prepared.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Service has this description: “ILLINOIS MANUFACTURING PLANT PROVES SEVERE WEATHER PLANS SAVE LIVES”
Company planning and paying attention to developing storms were key factors in protecting more than 140 employees when an F-4 tornado demolished an Illinois manufacturing plant . . .
What a guy; sounds like someone we’d all like to work with or for.
BEFORE
AFTER
Forecast and warning services, including NOAA All-Hazards Radio, worked as designed . . . , but the foresight of the plant owner in developing and implementing a severe weather plan gave workers extra minutes to take shelter. Not a single injury was suffered by any of the 140-150 employees on site at Parsons Manufacturing near Roanoke, Ill. The plan has been in effect since the plant was built in the 1970s. . .
A major factor of that plan was having a designated in-house storm watcher responsible for monitoring the storm. The storm and tornado actually formed near the plant and development was tracked by the storm watcher, who gave the initial word for employees to get to the three designated storm shelters. . .
“When our forecasters subsequently issued the tornado warning, employees were already moving to the shelters. That gave them an extra 5-7 minutes for the 140-150 individuals inside and outside the 250,000-square-foot plant to get out of harm’s way. In a situation where seconds can count in saving lives, extra minutes helped keep everyone from harm.”
Owner Bob Parsons said the time and energy invested in the plan over the years was paid back with dividends . . . He encouraged other business owners to follow suit.
“My life is more fulfilled because I don’t have to kick myself because I failed at providing a safe workplace for my employees,” Parsons said. “The money invested in shelters and your safety plan is just another piece of insurance against the unexpected. Along with that, is the moral obligation to do what is right to take care of your employees and protect your business”. . .
In setting up a severe weather plan, Parsons said owners should, “Think about your own safety. Where would you go? Whatever you would decide to do as an owner or manager to keep yourself safe, you need to do for all your employees. You have a responsibility to your employees; it’s not the employees’ responsibility. They are not in the position to make that decision.”
So, what can you do to improve preparedness? OSHA can help. Here’s some information they have on hurricanes and tornadoes.
A tremendous amount of useful information is available through this “e-Tool on “vacuation Plans and Procedures” Its like a website within the OSHA site devoted to the subject, with many internal links, tabs, etc.
Here from the National Weather Service weather fans can view the meterological details, with radar images and photos. Note this description:
The tornado increased to F4 intensity (approximately 210-240 mph) as it crossed Route 117, demolishing the Parsons Manufacturing Plant at this intersection. Approximately 140 people were in the plant at the time, but all made it to storm shelters in time (approximately 3-5 minutes before the tornado arrived). Steel beams and metal siding from the plant were found approximately 3/4 mile east in a farm field.
The parking lot was full of cars like this, that looked like they’d been through the car-crusher at the scrapyard.
Here’s a contemporaneous news story.
I talked to one employee. He was actually away doing some home shopping earlier today and on his way back to work, he came over the hill and was just wondering, ‘where did it go?’
Here’s a direct link to the photo gallery from that story.
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Comment by Anonymous
Many souls go to Hell because they didn’t honor the Trinity in their Finite Existence: Idolatry/abortion/vanity; We’re mortal sinners with only so much time on this morally-decayed-planet. Your choice. http://www.reddink.com/INDEX