Kaivac Suggests Building Managers Plan Ahead for Winter Storms
Hamilton, Ohio (PRWEB) September 02, 2013 -- While much of the country had an exceptionally warm summer, astute building managers and school administrators had something entirely different on their minds: what kinds of storms this winter may bring.
One of the many things learned from last year’s Hurricane Sandy is that managers must plan ahead for just about any type of weather event. This is true even for areas of the country that typically do not experience severe weather.
While not all weather events are as harsh as Sandy, according to the American Red Cross managers and administrators can better plan ahead for such events by knowing what the following weather warnings mean:
Winter Storm Outlook: Winter storm conditions are possible in the next 2 to 5 days.
Winter Storm Watch: Winter storm conditions are possible in the next 36 to 48 hours.
Winter Weather Advisory: Winter weather is expected to cause significant inconveniences and may be hazardous.
Winter Storm Warning: Life-threatening winter conditions have begun or will begin within 24 hours.
Even when facilities have taken winter storm precautions, they still may be severely impacted. In 2009 a severe storm in Eden, New York, about 20 miles from Buffalo, caused major flooding, with some of the city’s schools taking the brunt of the storm. One school was so flooded that several inches of water filled the halls and most all the classrooms.
To deal with the aftermath of severe weather events, managers and administrators must have a cleanup plan already in place.
For instance, in this case the Eden District Schools had already switched to Kaivac’s No-Touch Cleaning® systems for school cleaning. Custodial workers turned to these machines to vacuum up the floodwater, and according to James Shouldice, head custodian at one of the schools, “Without those machines, we would have had a lot more damage than we did.”
Regardless of what this winter brings, all managers and administrators are advised to start planning ahead now. Be familiar with what the different weather warnings mean, and when the worst happens be sure to have an effective cleanup plan ready to go as soon as it is needed.
Robert Kravitz, Altura Solutions Communications, http://www.alturasolutions.com, 773-525-3021, [email protected]
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