With cooler temperatures setting in and the first frost permeating the soft clay topsoil, most seasonal construction jobs will be wrapping up for the year. As foreman trim back their workforce to skeleton crews, they will turn their attention to the year ahead. While project managers might be eyeing a new excavator or work van for the next season, they should instead put an increased emphasis on worker safety. And no, we aren’t talking about hard hats. Although a few of your reluctant employees might certainly need it. With climate change shifting global patterns, jobsites have seen a noticeable uptick in severe weather, including tornadoes. That trend will likely continue as millions of construction workers nationwide find themselves in the crosshairs of killer storms. Downtime on the jobsite gives you no excuse for not investing in an industrial tornado shelter before your crews break ground on new projects in March.
Shifting Tornado Alley
When most people think of EF5 tornadoes – the most destructive of their kind – they reflect on storm stricken areas in Oklahoma and Texas. But the winds of change are shifting to the southeast. Meteorologist, who rarely agree on day-to-day forecasts, now believe Tornado Alley is moving to the Gulf States, Tennessee and the Carolinas. Southern work crews looking to capitalize on warmer winter temperatures to get ahead on future projects find themselves stranded in the widening Tornado Alley. As you might already know, tornado season is never-ending. January twisters in Alabama and Mississippi have taken advantage of southern hospitality. Any foreman believing the costs of an industrial tornado shelter outweigh the benefits should heed the warning of a 2014 tornado that ripped across a North Dakota oil field camp, injuring nine people.
“That is really important because we have way more people living east of the Mississippi River. And so basically, we have more targets, more exposure, more vulnerability as humans, our built environment, where these tornadoes are happening, and that creates more and more tornado disasters.”
Victor Gensini, associate professor in the Department of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment at Northern Illinois University. Source CNBC.
A Multi-Billion Dollar Threat
In 2020, direct exposure to severe weather claimed the lives of 55 construction workers. As more twisters begin to punch-in at thousands of unsuspecting jobsites, we will likely see this figure continue to grow. Tornadoes and less-than-punctual employees have a lot in common. They always seem to straggle in later in the day or toward the weekend – probably to grab their paychecks before the banks close. Severe weather and tornadoes have a knack for popping up in the early afternoon as the heat and humidity reaches a tipping point. Wide-open fields and worksites give twisters the shooting gallery they crave and unprotected workers have nowhere to go. Industrial shelters gives your workers more than a fighting chance. Engineered for optimal placement and convenience without cluttering the jobsite, our industrial safe rooms can be strategically placed away from all the heavy lifting while remaining just a short sprint away should the tornado sirens begin to blare.
Industrial Tornado Shelters Protect Workers and the Bottomline
Getting the job done is difficult if you can’t find willing workers to do all the heavy lifting. Hardworking and able bodies can be difficult to come by these days. With inflation sending the costs of building supplies through the roof, many jobsites can’t even pay their workers a living wage. Stand out from the crowd. Investing in an onsite industrial tornado shelter tells prospective workers that you value worker safety and are willing to go the extra mile for site protection. Industrial storm protection also sends a clear message to current employees. You appreciate everything they do.
Superior Temporary Storm Protection
We also understand the transient nature of the construction industry. There’s no such thing as a static jobsite. As soon as the job is done, you’re picking up moving on to the next gig. Our engineers have taken note of that. Our industrial tornado shelters can be easily relocated and secured at any work zone. Why buy when you can just rent? Why would you lug a storm shelter from job to job when we can do all the heavy lifting for you? Contact us today to speak with a knowledgeable building advisor. We can quickly evaluate your needs and present a variety of life-saving options for your workers and crewmen.
