Protect Commercial Facilities During Hurricane Season

Hurricane season is right around the corner. As with all things related to your facility management, proactive planning today can solve reactive headaches later. While there’s no guarantee you’ll face a hurricane situation this year, it’s always a good idea to protect commercial facilities during the hurricane season. Here are 5 things you can do to stay ahead of whatever you may face during this season.

Are you in a high-risk zone?

Even if they aren’t along the coast or in the South like we are, large portions of the country feel the sting of hurricane season as the storm cell turns into heavy downpours. When putting together your action plan, you’ll first need to assess your risk. Are you in a zone susceptible to high winds, storm surges, heavy rains, or tornadoes?

Figuring out what your highest risk is can help you with the next four items.

Prepare a checklist

When you need to protect your commercial facility during hurricane season, everyone’s checklist is going to look a little bit different. Your Integrated Facility Management company can help you sort through those with ease.

However, there are some commonalities, regardless of your risk factor. For example, do you have a copy of your building’s insurance policies? Are your occupants or tenants aware of safety procedures? Do you have necessary supplies stockpiled, such as first aid kits and bottled water?

Steps before the storm

Your pre-storm checklist is going to come in handy here. Most companies will need to unplug office equipment such as copiers, computers, and possibly even small data servers. Of all of your break room appliances, unplug everything except for the refrigerator.

It’s not a bad idea for occupants to clear their desks of personal belongings and company-provided computers. If you have anything meaningful on your walls, such as commemorative awards or certificates/diplomas, take them down and pack them away safely.

Finally, anything near windows should move, regardless of which risk zone you fall into. This includes desks and sensitive equipment.

Steps after the storm

Naturally, as a facility manager, you’re going to be concerned with the structural integrity of your building. However, do not return to it until the emergency authorities have issued the all-clear.

Your first step in your checklist is going to entail assessing the damage. If you have partnered with an IFM company, be sure to pass along all the details to them so that they can contact the appropriate vendors for remediation and cleanup.

Protect commercial facilities during the hurricane from pests too!

One quick note about post-storm pests. Mosquitos will be more present after the storm, as they thrive in damp, moist environments. Draining water buildup is critical to keeping them at bay.

Depending on the length of your cleanup, it’s not a bad idea to advise occupants to wear EPA-approved insect repellants when spending time outside. Although it’s most likely humid, wearing long sleeved clothing can help ward off pests looking for a quick meal.

It’s also possible you’ll encounter pests, like snakes, rodents, and other wildlife looking to hide in damaged structures. Be sure to let your IFM company know of any discoveries, whether an active pest nest or potential damage where they could build a home.