Julie Su Acting United States Secretary of Labor | Official Website
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a reminder for response and recovery crews, as well as residents in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and the Carolinas to be aware of hazards caused by Hurricane Helene. These hazards include flooding, power loss, structural damage, fallen trees, and storm debris.
Recovery efforts may involve risks associated with restoring electricity and communications, clearing debris, repairing roofs, and trimming trees. OSHA advises that individuals involved in these activities should have proper training and experience with related equipment.
Protective measures after a weather disaster should include evaluating work areas for hazards, assessing the stability of structures and walking surfaces, ensuring fall protection when working from elevated surfaces, assuming all powerlines are live, operating chainsaws and portable generators correctly, and using personal protective equipment such as gloves, hard hats, hearing protection, foot protection, and eye protection.
OSHA provides a comprehensive website on hurricane preparedness and response with safety tips for employers and workers. The site includes an alert on keeping workers safe during flood cleanup. Individuals involved in response and recovery efforts can call OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742).
“As our region seeks to restore our communities after a weather emergency like Hurricane Helene," explained OSHA Regional Administrator Kurt Petermeyer in Atlanta. "It is important to remember the wide range of hazards storm recovery presents particularly for emergency responders and recovery workers. The risk of injuries and fatalities during cleanup can be reduced with knowledge safe work practices and using proper personal protective equipment. Our safety professionals are ready to assist with questions about reducing hazards in the wake of this catastrophic storm.”
