Warehouse tornado shelters aren’t just an Amazon wish list – they should be a top priority for any employer managing a large workforce. Warehouses, encompassing several hundred acres of floorspace and dozens of employees, are vulnerable during high-wind events and tornadoes. As most manufacturing facilities are efficiently built with significant cavernous floor plans, warehouses are without load-bearing walls, engineers opting instead for clear-spanned roofs, placing workers in harm’s way during cross-shearing wind storms. Vortexed tornadoes easily penetrate roofs and walls, turning shelved inventories into debris fields as harried workers scramble for cover. Many warehouses also contain hazardous materials, increasing the risk of inadvertent employee exposure from compromised and breached containers during severe weather, threatening a manufacturing facility’s structural integrity. Congruent and optimally placed storm shelters in large corridors or unused warehouse floor plans provide timely evacuation for employees during tornadoes. We also offer compliant fire-rated protection for volatile and valuable chemicals for catastrophic severe weather and fires.
A rare 5-of-5 tornado threat decimated an Indiana warehouse Wednesday night, requiring authorities to rescue three trapped workers quickly. The collapsing structure initially stranded the workers, who were caught off guard by the sudden storm. This worst-case worker scenario and the resulting negative press could’ve been avoided with a well-rehearsed employee safety management plan epitomized by a readily available onsite warehouse tornado shelter. Although not federally required, many municipalities in a widening Tornado Alley require onsite tornado shelters for vulnerable workforces. Our FEMA 320 / 361 & ICC500 Compliant Warehouse Tornado Shelters give employees the protection they deserve while fulfilling orders and managing sensitive inventories under tight deadlines. Don’t let your workers sweat mitigated threats when turnkey protection is only a phone call or click away.
What to do in a Warehouse During a Tornado?
Manufacturing workforces should always have a quick plan of action for all severe weather threats, including tornadoes. Manufacturers should take workplace safety to a higher plane by incorporating vaunted steel protection with EF5 tornado protection in a steel-gauge shelter with a lower center of gravity to keep operations and employee morale grounded during unprecedented times. While steel protection always bests ad hoc accommodations, like sheltering in a small interior room or hallway without windows, warehouse tornado shelter placement is crucial for withstanding any storm. Our versatile, rapidly-deployable warehouse tornado shelters complement any jobsite safety plan with readily-available accommodations during any storm without delay. Manufacturers have dealers’ choice in shelter installation into any corner of the facility without interrupting workflow operations. Seasoned safety engineers recognize prudent shelter placement near rear corridors, parking lots, break rooms, and centrally located and vacant floor areas. Routine tornado drills following shelter installation can soothe frayed nerves needlessly eyeing the horizon before punching in during chaotic evening shifts.
What Kind of Shelter Can Withstand a Tornado?
Although specific concrete-steel combination shelters can protect workers from tornadoes, only continuous steel protection meets or exceeds FEMA safe room and ICC 500-certified specifications. Our customized warehouse tornado shelters meet all sought-after prerequisites for superior onsite protection while boosting employee morale with prodigious shelter visibility that surpasses all traditional fringe benefits. Our warehouse tornado shelters never take sick days while instilling good faith within employees hesitant to clock in on cloudy days, knowing a well-knit workforce is waiting with open arms to head off any potential threat. While underground bunkers are growing in popularity, an aboveground tornado safe room is more easily accessible and reassuring than cramped subterranean accommodations that could be hard to locate during late night shifts without electricity from downed powerlines.
What is the Safest Type of Tornado Shelter?
While a below-ground storm shelter is technically the safest tornado-safe room, above-ground shelters have several built-in advantages, like greater visibility, easy-to-locate moral reinforcement, and versatility for movement should your operations relocate. Moreover, belowground shelters are a poor choice for flood-prone communities and jobsites. Aboveground tornado safe rooms don’t require employees to navigate stairs during darkened storm events or strand mobility-prohibited workers during quick evacuations.
Does OSHA require a tornado shelter?
OSHA doesn’t require a tornado shelter. Despite their vexing chemical storage and worker safety regulations, the federal agency is eerily quiet for storm regulations and protocols. However, this doesn’t mean you should skimp on safety. Tornadoes are becoming increasingly common in a widening Tornado Alley, including the Midwest, Deep South, and Mid-Atlantic states. An ever-growing number of municipalities are also requiring onsite warehouse tornado shelters for larger industrial manufacturers. Relocatable tornado shelters also offer greater protection for mobile and transitioning remote jobsites, including construction zones, oil drilling operations, temporary remodeling projects, and seasonal operations, such as schools.