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Business lessons from a disaster

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Learning from Hurricane Helene: What Not to Do in the Face of Inclement Weather

By: Amy Angel [6] & Lex Shvartsmann [7]
Barran Leibman Law [8]

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, one employer’s apparent failure to have and adhere to a common sense inclement weather policy has underscored why having such a policy is so important. Impact Plastics, a Tennessee employer, reportedly required its employees to remain on-site as the conditions of Hurricane Helene continued to worsen, and five employees died in the floodwaters. Impact Plastics now faces a $25-million wrongful death suit and is being investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration [9].

Although Pacific Northwest weather rarely reaches extremes comparable to Hurricane Helene, this tragic story serves as a reminder to employers that the costs of failing to prepare and implement an adequate inclement weather policy are too high to ignore. Now is the best time to set in motion proper policies for inclement weather to avoid the chaos and potentially deadly costs of impromptu decision-making.

Here are some considerations to keep in mind when crafting your policies and preparing your business for inclement weather:

Employers should prioritize the health and safety of their employees in all circumstances. This includes creating and maintaining an emergency safety plan, as well as ensuring that employees are sufficiently educated to carry out that plan in the case of an emergency.

For more advice on compliance and best practices in the face of inclement weather, check out our previous E-Alert on storm-proofing your inclement weather policy here [10].

For questions relating to inclement weather policies and how to pay employees during inclement weather or other emergency closures, contact Amy Angel at 503-276-2195 or [email protected] [11].