Hurricane season is here in Rhode Island. Are you ready?

When you live in a coastal state like Rhode Island, we all have concerns about the safety of our families and our homes during hurricane season. We worry about high winds, flooding, and power outages. If you’re a business owner, you’re also responsible for your company and the safety of your workers. That’s why we’ve put together some simple hurricane safety tips to help you be ready with our Hurricane Planning Guide.

Here are 7 key things you should definitely do ahead of time:

1. Get a Kit. Visit www.ready.gov/build-a-kit to help you collect all the recommended emergency supplies.
2. Make a Plan. Visit www.ready.gov/make-a-plan to learn how you can prepare your family to stay connected, plan your evacuation ahead of time, and don’t forget to plan for the care of your pets. You can read more tips at www.ready.gov/animals.
3. Be Informed. Monitor local radio and television news outlets or listen to NOAA Weather Radio for the latest developments. Hurricanes can bring flooding as well as high winds. Be sure to stay informed as the risk of flooding may occur: www.ready.gov/floodawareness.
4. Prepare Your Home. Make sure that your house is ready when the storm hits by covering windows, securing outdoor furniture and decoration, keeping trees and shrubs well-trimmed, and ensuring you have a supply of water on hand.
5. Prepare Your Business. Plan to stay in business, talk to your employees, and protect your investment. Be sure to plan your evacuation procedure and practice with your employees ahead of time. Learn more at www.ready.gov/planning.
6. Be Safe After the Storm. Work conditions can change drastically after a hurricane. OSHA provides a Hurricane Exposure and Risk Assessment Matrix with information on significant hazards that response and recovery workers may encounter.
7. Control Workers’ Comp Risks During Recovery Efforts. As businesses go through hurricane cleanup, repair and reopening, employees may be needed for tasks to which they are unaccustomed and for which they are not trained. This often results in injuries when employees are not properly trained in safety protocol. Read our Hurricane Planning Guide for some tips to help you avoid needless accidents and injuries that happen every day in recovery efforts.

Will you be ready?

According to a recent study, about half of all companies would be forced to close 3 to 5 years after a major disaster strikes. Would you be one of them? Developing a business continuity plan* and then testing it out is the answer to protecting your physical, financial, and human assets. Read our Hurricane Planning Guide to learn how you can create a Business Continuity Plan that works for your business and protects your future.

We’re here if you need us.

We are Rhode Islanders too. We are here to provide exceptional workers’ compensation services when you need us most. If you are an injured worker with an open claim and are seeking information about your claim status, medical or compensation payment, or if you are a Beacon Mutual policyholder and need to report a claim on an injured employee, please Contact Us or call 1-888-886-4450.

Here are a few more helpful resources:

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Ready.gov
State of RI Emergency Management Agency RIEMA.RI.gov
State of RI Department of Health Health.ri.gov
OSHA Emergency Preparedness and Response or Hurricane Preparedness and Response