Employees at an Illinois Amazon warehouse discovered an inconvenient truth about tornados last December. No structure, not matter how big, is truly invincible from the destructive raw power from powerful weather phenomenon. In a matter of seconds, the juggernaut industrial complex, as daunting as it once was, became reduced to a gutted carcass, barely clinging to life. Six people would die from the tornado and a media frenzy soon erupted concerning the lack of a commercial warehouse storm shelter. “Why hasn’t this company done more to protect its employees? This is a billion dollar industry and they can’t afford a simple tornado shelter?” Many midwestern homes and businesses invest in durable commercial warehouse storm shelters, but for some reason Amazon opted against this safeguard.
OSHA Launches Investigation
In the immediate aftermath of the Amazon tornado disaster, OSHA launched an investigation concerning the warehouse’s safety protocol and the lack of a suitable tornado shelter. To the company’s credit, the destroyed warehouse was built with reinforced concrete walls with an emphasis on bracing near the ceiling. This is a common building practice for ‘Big Box’ retailers due to affordability and turnkey construction. But as so many other warehouse supervisors have learned, larger commercial facilities can not withstand the carnage and devastation rendered by killer tornadoes. Chiming in for the typical pundit spiel, state lawmakers claim Amazon opted against a safe house because the area is prone to flooding. With no other option, employees’ resorted to restrooms and interior rooms to shelter from the storm. Despite their mammoth footprints, warehouses and factories can become venerable death traps when a tornado comes tumbling through town. Sheering forces from twisters can easily peel back a warehouse’s roof, exposing workers to a power vacuum and cacophony of swirling winds and projectile debris. Towering pallets of supplies and heavy equipment bulk under these tremendous forces, crushing defenseless employees below.
Commercial Warehouse Storm Shelter Costs Only a Fraction of Total Overhead
when tallying the total construction costs of large commercial facilities, a large commercial warehouse storm shelter only represents about 2 percent of total overhead costs. This should be within the operating costs of any larger corporation. Large commercial shelters capable of protecting hundreds of employees, can be easily implemented into such facilities without interrupting day-to-day operations. When considering the inclusion of a warehouse and factory tornado shelter, there is more than just the obvious life-saving features these units offer. For one, you will be sending a very clear message to your employees. By making available a proven life-saving storm shelter to their disposal, you are telling your employees that you value them not only as workers, but as actual human beings. This should go a long way in employee retention and company moral, which is directly correlated with production and profit. Then these is also the insurance angle. Insurers are much more likely to extend better rates to companies that go the extra mile in protecting employees. Intangibles, such as these, along with the merits of being a decent human being, are all the more reason to invest in guaranteed protection from U.S. Hazmat Storage.