1. DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON.

ON.” If you are not near a strong table or desk, drop to the floor against an
interior wall and cover your head and neck with your arms. Avoid windows, hanging objects, mirrors, tall
furniture, large appliances and cabinets filled with heavy objects.

2. Remain calm.

 Do NOT touch, tamper with, or move the package, bag, or item.

3. finding out what can happen is the first step. Once you have determined the events possible and their
potential in your community, it is important that you discuss them with your family or household. Develop
a disaster plan together

. Remain calm and be patient , Follow the advice of local emergency officials. Listen to your radio or
television for news and instructions. If the event occurs near you, check for injuries. Give first aid and get
help for seriously injured people. If the event occurs near your home while you are there, check for
damage using a flashlight. Do not light matches or candles or turn on electrical switches. Check for fires,
fire hazards and other household hazards. Sniff for gas leaks, starting at the water heater. If you smell gas
or suspect a leak, turn off the main gas valve, open windows, and get everyone outside quickly. Shut off
any other damaged utilities. Confine or secure your pets. Call your family contact—do not use the
telephone again unless it is a life-threatening emergency. Check on your neighbors, especially those who
are elderly or disabled

4. Do wear protective clothing – Rubber is usually the best material for flooding. Rubber boots, gloves and

goggles are useful in water and may provide some slight protection from electrical hazards. Appropriate footwear

is vital as you may not know what you’re stepping on, so boots with protective, hard soles is a must. Hypothermia

is also a concern during flooding so try and wrap up warm in water-resistant clothing.

- Do turn off the mains – The impurities in water conduct electricity, meaning that anyone in contact with flooded

water is potentially at risk of electrocution. Any tools or equipment that are using electricity are probably attached

to the mains. As soon as an area becomes flooded, these become electrical hazards. Ensuring that the power is

switched off, either through the mains switch or the fuse box, is an important step to reducing the risk of

electrocution.

- Do evacuate safely – Stick to the plan. Where you work should have an established safety and evacuation

procedure in place in case there is a flood. OSHA make it clear that the burden is on the employer to ensure a

workplace is prepared for flooding and all the workers receive health and safety training to deal with a flooding
situation. An evacuation plan should contain a clear chain of command, a plan for routes that should be followed in

an evacuation, an accounting procedure for establishing the number of personnel and a set of tasks with a

corresponding list of those responsible for the job.

-Do keep aware of the dangers of water – In the rush of evacuation it can be very easy to slip and fall due to

flooded water. It is possible to drown in only a few inches of water and even easier to lose your footing. It is

important to evacuate in an orderly fashion to avoid any injuries. You should be careful of standing water as you

can’t be sure how deep it is, or what’s underneath. Moving water should always be avoided as it only needs to be

two feet deep to be powerful enough to carry a person away.

- Do maintain cleanliness – Hopefully you and your co-workers have been evacuated successfully and are

somewhere warm and safe. Be sure to thoroughly wash your hands with soap before eating, drinking, smoking or

doing anything that involves putting your hands to your face. Also, remember to decontaminate your rain gear and

boots with disinfectant. Pollutants can seep into the floodwater and in particularly bad times of flooding, diseases

like typhoid and cholera can develop and spread. Therefore, it is so important to look after your own hygiene, for

your own health and for those around you.

Don’ts:

1) Don’t enter flooded rooms – Standing water and electrical equipment is a bad mix. Extension cords and guarding

on power tools should be in good condition and used appropriately. If there is water in an area with electrical

equipment, power should be turned off at the mains. Workers should never enter areas of flooded water in their

place of work as the risk of electrocution is too high.

2) Don’t ignore chemicals and other biological hazards – Floodwater means that dangerous chemicals can escape

their storage and seep into the water, becoming a hazard to anyone exposed. Look out for any containers that

appear to be leaking. If you smell, see, or in any way notice evidence of chemicals in the water, avoid that area.

Flooding can also result in sewage, garbage, dead animals and all kinds of biological waste seeping into the water
and becoming a health hazard. This is why it is important for workers to stay alert and keep a sense of personal

hygiene, even in such difficult conditions, as there are so many potential hazards to be aware of.

3) Don’t use frayed extension cords – If flood water has reached the level of electrical outlets and is covering power

cords, you should evacuate the area immediately. Extension cords are commonly used in workplaces and if they

are even slightly damaged they can be a real hazard during flooding.

4) Don’t think just because it’s a flood there can’t be fire – It may seem counter intuitive but flooding presents a

real fire risk. Flooding can damage fire protection systems and electrical wiring. Significant flooding can delay

emergence services and disrupt the water systems used to fight fires, making the risk due to fire that much

greater.

5) Don’t mess with power lines – If you do have to evacuate, be sure to stay away from any fallen power lines.

These should be treated as if they’re still energized. You should keep a clear distance between you and the power

line and report the damage as soon as possible. Utility workers are properly trained to deal with this hazard and

have the appropriate equipment.