Is Your Business Prepared To Shelter In Place?

Does your business know how to handle a shelter in place situation? Chances are if you are like most businesses you do not currently have a plan or the supplies needed to shelter in place.

Fairly recently I was consulting with a client and asked if they had made any preparations or had plans to shelter in place. The response I got back was very interesting, "Sheltering in place, thats only for hospitals isn't it?" This told me all I needed to know about how adequate their planning was.

As a side note, here in the CA, Bay Area, Shelter In Place orders are issued fairly frequently due to various incidents from gas leaks to industrial accidents.

Though I wont mention the particular business I am speaking of, I am paying particular attention to them for a reason. They had just relocated to a new building, that is located right next to an electrical sub-station which if it were to catch fire releases a very large amount of toxic fumes and smoke. These types of fires also burn extremely hot, and have the potential to place nearby structures in danger.

Just to provide you with some example of these types of fires, see the videos below.

Florida Sub-Station Fire & Explosion

March 2009 Ottawa Sub-Station Fire

Warning: The Video below contains Expletives

San Leandro Sub-Station Fire

 These are not the only situations for which a shelter in place can be called, but as I stated, the fumes and smoke from these fires are extremely toxic, and generally contain PCB's. However, transformer fires are fairly a common event and as you can see from these videos, people are unfamiliar with the potential dangers, even having their kids outside to watch.

What does this have to do with business? Well, businesses have a duty to act appropriately to safe guard both employees, and guests or visitors at the business site and knowing what to do when a shelter In Place order is given.

There is a lot more to a Shelter In Place program, but here are some basics to get you started:

• Close the business, no one should come in or out.

• Choose an interior room, preferably with no windows, hopefully with a telephone.

• Ensure and provide for the safety of visitors, and clients, someone will need to direct them what to do

• Close and lock ALL outside windows and doors If you can close all blinds and curtains

• Turn off all Fans, heating, and air conditioning systems

• If possible, have people call their emergency contacts to let them know where they are and that they are safe

• Get the names of all the people in the room or onsite

• Seal off the room using the plastic sheeting and duct tape, cover all doors, windows, and vents

• Listen to the radio for instructions, and for when the shelter in place advisory is over

 If you have questions or concerns about Sheltering In Place feel free to Contact me and I will be glade to help you get this done the right way at your business. 

Should You Invest In Gold, Silver or Other Precious Metals? A Preppers Perspective

Unless you have been living under a rock (which may not be a bad idea) you know that we are in the middle of a financial crisis, that looks like it will continue for some time, and may even worsen. Many people have been turning to Gold, Silver and other precious metals, as well as some other commodities as an investment to hedge against inflation

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Are Store Bought Survival Kits All I Really Need To Survive On?

As a preparedness expert, I get asked a lot of questions. Such as, How much water do I really need? and, What do those survival bars taste like? When should I stay put, and when should I go? These are all good questions. Today I want to answer one of the most common questions I get as far as home preparedness goes. And that is: Are those store bought or pre-made survival kits any good or all I need to survive?

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What Does Preparedness Mean To You? Tell Me and You May Win A Prize

Preparedness and being prepared mean different things to different people. To many people being prepared means having enough water and canned food, or power bars to get them through a couple of days. To others it means being ready to survive for a year or more on their own.

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Russia Bans Grain Exports Till End of Year

Russia has announced a ban on grain exports starting August 15 running through December 1, 2010 (some reports state December 31) after their worst drought in fifty years. In addition it canceled a shipment of 45,000 tons to the Philippines.

Source: Henrik Thorn/Flickr

Though Russia is expected to meet food demands inside their country, the cost of grains is expected to increase significantly, with wheat up 75 percent since July. The Ban includes all grains including, wheat, corn, barley, rye, and flour.

The reason for this being such a big deal is that Russia has emerged as a major exporter (the third largest) of grain in the last few years.

Though the situation is not as bad as it was in 2008 when there was a global food shortage due to crops failing worldwide, it does have a major impact on countries who rely on the exports such as Egypt. Egypt currently has a six month supply of grains, and expects to be able to handle the disruption.

The real problem will come if Russia should extend the ban into winter months, and other countries are unable to make up the difference or if additional shortages drives the price beyond reach of some of the poorer nations.