USF SafetyFlorida Offers HurriPlanner Tool for Small Businesses
With the return of hurricane season, USF SafetyFlorida is encouraging small business owners to do damage control ahead of the storms.
For More Information, Contact:
Charlene Sitterly, Program Director
USF SafetyFlorida
csitterl@health.usf.edu
1-866-273-1105
For Immediate Release:
June 16, 2009
USF SafetyFlorida Offers HurriPlanner Tool for Small Businesses
Owners Can Create Customized Emergency Management Plan Online in Three Easy Steps
With the return of hurricane season, USF SafetyFlorida is encouraging small business owners to do damage control ahead of the storms. The safety and health consultation program for Florida’s small businesses has developed HurriPlanner (www.hurricanebusinesssafety.com), a free online hurricane and emergency preparedness plan. With it, business owners can create a hurricane business safety plan in just a few clicks.
The HurriPlanner website delivers a comprehensive approach to hurricane preparedness with safety tips for before, during and after a storm. The HurriPlanner tool is a quick and easy way for small business owners to develop a plan specifically for their business and employees, helping them to prepare for extreme weather conditions. HurriPlanner takes only three steps. The first screen places into the plan important contact information—name of business, location, phone numbers and names of emergency and disaster coordinators. Step two asks if an owner wants additional disaster information added to the plan such as hurricane disaster assistance, continuity of operations; floods, tornadoes and wildfires assistance; emergency planning for employees, and preventing structure assistance. Step three produces a HurriPlanner plan in a Microsoft Word document that is easy to print and save. The end result is a thorough and tailored emergency management plan, with detailed how-to’s for protecting management information systems and handling other key areas such as utility disruptions, damage assessments, employees and suppliers, emergency supplies and more.
Bob Nesbit, program manager of USF’s OSHA Training Institute (a USF SafetyFlorida partner), says “Having an emergency management system in place—for hurricanes or any type of disaster—can be life-saving for a business. More importantly, the HurriPlanner ensures that business owners and employees understand the important details that come with dealing with all phases of a storm, from preparation to business re-entry. This website can be an invaluable tool for Florida small businesses.”
To learn more about the USF SafetyFlorida consultation program or to request a free and confidential safety consultation, call toll-free at 1-866-273-1105 or visit www.usfsafetyflorida.com.
About USF SafetyFlorida
USF SafetyFlorida, headquartered in Tampa and with consultants across the state, is a workplace safety consultation program for Florida’s small businesses. It is funded by OSHA and the State of Florida and is operated as a service of the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health. The consultation program offers free and confidential assistance statewide. To help employers profit from a safer workplace, the program identifies workplace hazards, offers solutions for safety and health problems, provides training and education, and assists in creating safety and health management plans. To learn more about the USF SafetyFlorida Consultation Program or to request a confidential consultation, visit its website at www.usfsafetyflorida.com.
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