Are your dangerous stockpiles of toxic chemicals safe from tornadoes? With a terrifying increase in tornadoes nationwide, heavy industries and manufacturing are particularly susceptible to tornadoes. Chemical storage inventories and manufacturing equipment fall into the dubious category of static collateral. This differentiation in terminology means products and supplies largely stay unmoved unless arduously relocated by living and breathing humans. In the event of severe weather or tornadoes, dangerous chemicals fall to the mercy of chaotic and damaging straight-line destruction. They can’t simply grow legs and seek cover from dangerous storms. While employee protection should remain a top priority for every industry, investing in compliant chemical storage for tornadoes can keep localized minor destruction from evolving into a toxic catastrophe.
Wanton Destruction and Despair
Tornadoes can cause an exorbitant and inordinate amount of damage to heavy industry. In 2022, tornadoes inflicted a record-breaking $708 million in destruction in the United States alone. Tornadoes instantaneously demolish sturdy homes and fortified educational institutions with impunity. There’s nothing civil about tornadoes, as they don’t discriminate while wielding maximum damage. What’s even more terrifying is the massive scale and reach of tornadoes. Most tornadoes touchdown in the Midwest, which receives the less-than-affectionate moniker of “Tornado Alley USA.” Raising the stakes in this dangerous game of meteorological dodgeball is the presence of heavy industry in the heart of the nation’s tornado strike zone. Texas is oil country and home to hundreds of refineries and ancillary industries that rely on flammable petroleum cleaners and lubricants. Most construction, aided by longer springs and summer, also takes place in the Deep South, making these areas prone to tornadic carnage.
Investing in Chemical Storage for Tornadoes
Surprisingly, federal regulation is short for words when it comes to laws regarding chemical storage and tornadoes. Even guidelines and information for employee protection in the event of tornadoes is pretty scant. Although they provide guidance and suggestions for improvised tornado shelter protection, OSHA currently does not federally require a tornado shelter for employees, let alone equipment and chemicals. Unfortunately, tornado shelters are considered a luxury or cost-prohibitive line item. Relying on the odds alone, project managers test fate by foregoing tornado protection to cut costs and maximize profits. Any good construction foreman knows that destruction and loss mitigation should always factor into solid logistics when breaking ground on new projects.
Ok, so you we’ve given you the dirty details on the carnage wrought by tornadoes. Sorry, but you no longer carry the advantages of cognitive dissonance or blissful ignorance. Tornadoes maim more than just workers and temporary workflow operations. They can destroy lives and the solid foundation of solvent and profitable businesses. So, what’s your corrective calculus now? For starters, you can reach out to us for a free consultation. We have a line of highly engineered solid steel chemical storage lockers that can withstand wind-driven projectiles and debris while safeguarding expensive, yet dangerous hazardous materials. Chemical storage for tornadoes protects not only the bottom line, but also your company’s reputation in the community. Tornadoes are notorious firebugs. By whipping through flimsy traditional building materials, tornadoes invite a host of worst-case scenarios, including residual fires and chemical spills. Imagine throwing fuel on the proverbial fire of a tornado by failing to properly secure dangerous chemicals from a tornado.
Temporary Tornado Protection for Employees
While protecting vulnerable assets and chemicals from tornadoes should always be a top priority, you should first protect what matters most: your employees. Most tornadoes strike in the early afternoon, just as work at any jobsite is shifting into high gear. Where would you employees go in the event of tornado? Under a cement mixer? Even a prefabricated metal office building would be a poor last resort for any hard hatted worker. Our mobile tornado shelters provide turnkey protection for the temporary and transient nature of construction work. Why would you buy steel protection when you could rent a safe and cost-effective alternative? Our mobile tornado shelters can be easily transported to any jobsite nationwide. Stay safe and protected. Call us today for a free quote and consultation!
