Osha Tornado Shelter Requirements

OSHA expects employers to take precautions before tornado emergencies, including developing an emergency plan, educating workers about the warning signs of tornadoes, practicing with drills, and monitoring tornado sightings and warnings. Emergency plans should include appropriate locations for tornado shelters, notification methods for workers, drills, guidelines to ensure that all workers and visitors are considered in the facility, and step-by-step procedures for responding to potential hazardous substance problems on site. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires most companies to have contingency plans in place. Yet employers are not required by law to send workers home if tornadoes threaten. After a tornado hits and businesses take steps to recover from the storm, workers can face significant hazards, including the potential for additional storms, downed power lines, and live debris. Workers should also be aware of the hazards posed by heat stress and of equipment used in response and recovery operations, such as portable generators. Workers must take special precautions to remain safe during response and recovery operations. See the Response/Recovery page for more information on these hazards and the protective measures workers should use. The OSHA HAZWOPER Health and Safety Topics page explains the requirements of the OSHA HAZCOOPER standard, including the required employee training. OSHA`s general emergency preparedness and response information on shelter-in-place procedures in a workplace recommends that employers “choose an indoor space above the ground floor (selecting a room above the ground floor does not apply to tornadoes or hurricanes) with the fewest windows or vents.

Rooms should have enough space for everyone to sit. Avoid overcrowding by selecting multiple rooms if necessary. Large storage closets, laundry rooms, pantries, copy rooms, and conference rooms without exterior windows are ideal. Avoid choosing a room with mechanical devices such as ventilation blowers or pipes, as these devices may not be able to be sealed from the outside. With the exception of the “above ground” criterion, the other shelter criteria would also apply to an area protected against a tornado. Plans should also include the development of an alarm system and emergency supply kits to be stored in protected areas. Some companies must have an emergency plan in place that meets the requirements of 29 CFR 1910.38, see Evacuation Plans and Procedures eTool for more information. While contingency plans primarily involve evacuations, contingency planning for tornadoes involves identifying safe havens for workers to turn to in the event of tornadoes. The Checklists and Resources pages offer an easy way to make sure you`re ready for a tornado, including suggestions for communication equipment and personal first aid kits for you. An underground area, such as a basement or storm cellar, offers the best protection against a tornado. If an underground shelter is not available, note the following: About 800 tornadoes are expected in the United States each year. Tornadoes can form quickly and have the potential to be violent, producing winds of more than 250 miles per hour.

The short warning period, coupled with the risk of injury and excessive damage from tornadoes, requires employers to prepare well in advance of these storms. Your local emergency management office can provide you with information about your community`s tornado warning system. Johnson`s lawsuit is not directly related to contingency plans, but focuses on the company`s actions on the night of the tornado. But this raises questions about the company`s preparation for such an event. Finally, employers should insist that they train employees to know what to do in an emergency. OSHA says employers should conduct shelter-in-place practices on a regular basis. Tornado Warning – Immediate Danger – A tornado was spotted in the area or posted by radar. Ask for protection immediately. According to www.mnn.com “. Tornado season tends to move north from late winter to midsummer. For the southern states, March through May is peak tornado season. For the southern plains, tornadoes tend to form from May to early June.

On the Gulf Coast, tornadoes typically occur in the spring, and in the northern plains, northern states and upper Midwest, peak tornado season in June or July. Recommended by the Red Cross, you may also find useful the very detailed information on the Federal Emergency Management Agency`s (FEMA) website on “safe spaces,” which FEMA describes as “a rugged structure specifically designed to meet FEMA criteria and provide near-absolute protection during extreme weather events such as tornadoes and hurricanes.” The following measures are recommended to ensure the safety of personnel in the event of a tornado: Tornado monitoring – Tornadoes are likely to occur in the surveillance zone. Be prepared to act quickly and seek shelter and check supplies. Keep an eye on radio and TV stations for more information. OSHA says these plans should include evacuation procedures and great attention to identifying the best accommodation areas — from small interiors to the lowest floor. Tornadoes can occur with little or no warning. Pre-storm precautions, such as developing an emergency plan, learning warning signs, and monitoring tornado sightings and warnings, can help you stay safe if a tornado occurs near you. Similar reports surfaced in Illinois, where a tornado hit an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, killing six workers. In response, a group of Democratic lawmakers is urging Amazon to respond. “At least one Amazon driver appears to have been sent to continue,” lawmakers wrote.

“Because” we can`t just call people back to get a warning unless Amazon tells us to. At least 15 of the nearly 100 people who died when powerful tornadoes hit six states on Dec. 10 were workers who had been ordered to continue working despite the known threat. To prepare for a tornado, businesses should develop an emergency plan. The plan should include details on appropriate accommodations, guidelines to ensure that all personnel are considered, and procedures for dealing with hazardous substances on site. It is also recommended that individuals develop action plans for their families. OSHA regulations do not require that a shelter that protects against a tornado be built with a concrete ceiling. However, OSHA provides guidance on its website on what constitutes a safe space for tornado protection. Although not required by law, a concrete room is one of the agency`s suggestions in the “Preparedness” section of its tornado preparedness and response website.

There, OSHA states: “An underground area, such as a basement or storm basement, provides the best protection against a tornado. If an underground shelter is not available, note the following: Readiness involves an ongoing process of planning, equipping, training and practice. Tornado planning requires identifying a place of refuge, knowing and monitoring your community`s alert system, and establishing procedures for welcoming people into the building. Employers may need to purchase additional equipment and/or resources (e.g., emergency care kits) listed in the plan. In addition, workers must be trained and plans must be implemented to ensure that staff know what to do in the event of a tornado. That leaves the emergency action plans that OSHA says most employers should be in place to deal with tornadoes. Q: Many of our company`s distribution centers do not meet OSHA`s tornado shelter requirements because they don`t have concrete ceilings. What area could protect our employees and be compliant? Staff also need to know what to do if caught outside when a tornado threatens. Seek refuge in a basement or stable. If you are not within walking distance, try to get to the nearest shelter in a vehicle with a seat belt. If flying debris is encountered in a vehicle, there are two options: 1) stay in the vehicle with your seat belt, keep your head under the windows and cover it with your hands or a blanket, 2) if there is an area significantly lower than the roadway, lie in that area and cover your head with your hands. The day after the tornado, employee Elijah Johnson told ABC News, “I asked to leave, and they told me I was going to be fired.” Five days later, Johnson filed a class action lawsuit, claiming the company had shown “blatant indifference” to the safety of its workers that night.

Learn more about FindLaw`s newsletters, including our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This website is protected by reCAPTCHA and Google`s privacy policy and terms of service apply. If you think your job is unsafe, you should discuss it with your supervisor or employer and remind them that they have a duty. If that doesn`t work, you can file a complaint with OSHA and request an inspection. For more information, see the preparation guide developed by NOAA, FEMA, and the American Red Cross. Every worker has the right to work in a safe environment and every employer is obliged to guarantee this. These incidents raise questions about the procedures companies must follow in hazardous weather conditions. They also raise questions about the rights workers might have at such times to demand greater security from their employers.

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