Unusually stormy weather across the country over the coming days could put pedestrians, construction workers and emergency crews at risk. The Israel Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (IIOSH) offers tips on how to stay safe when there are high winds and floods.
In recent years, flooding incidents have increased in Israel due to the increased frequency of heavy rainfall as a result of the climate crisis. The Meteorological Center warns of stormy weather and strong winds during the coming days: in the north, in the center of the country, in the Mediterranean Sea, in the northern Negev, and in the hills of the southern Negev.
In addition, an early flood warning has been issued for the northern coastal plain and the central and southern coastal plains.A sudden event will always surprise us, so we need to be prepared and ready to assess the damage and mitigate exposure to rescue and assistance teams to ensure their occupational safety and health,” said Dr. Micky Winkler, Director General of IIOSH. “Different workplaces must be prepared according to the type of work, operations and changing weather conditions.”
Steps to stay safe
He recommends the following steps to prepare the workplace for floods and inclement weather:
Check the integrity of surfaces and clean them of objects placed on them, such as leaves and branches; Reinforce loose roof panels. Clean gutters and make sure water flows easily; Inspecting dry tree branches (especially eucalyptus trees); Strengthening metal and wooden structures such as pergolas and canopies; Avoid working at heights if possible. Use all necessary means to prevent objects from falling. Securing any object or facility that may be moved or blown away by the wind; Do not operate, assemble or disassemble cranes in strong winds.
Once the main danger has passed, clean-up and remediation teams begin work to deal with the site. During floods, cleanup and recovery teams may be exposed to respiratory hazards caused by the release and accumulation of hazardous substances and gases in open or closed spaces. To deal with these risks, authorities and workplace managers must conduct risk assessments and manage them to minimize damage to employees, surrounding areas, property and infrastructure.
The event manager must ensure that all employees use personal protective equipment and means of protection necessary to mitigate damage, such as exposure to live power lines during floods, and injuries resulting from the use and operation of defective and unprofessional generators, chainsaws, and ladders.
Ensure that work areas are well lit, with traffic signals, markings, obstacles, and potholes. Continuous risk management throughout the entire work period will allow safe work and protect the lives of recovery teams during floods.
It is necessary to maintain regular preparedness of emergency teams. This includes training and exercising teams, updating policies and instructions, maintaining work and rescue equipment, and ensuring they are ready to respond quickly to sudden events, minimize damage, and gain control as quickly as possible while mitigating damage and the number of casualties.
“As environmental conditions change and deteriorate due to the effects of climate change, there will inevitably be impacts on the safety and health of workers. Cleanup and recovery face serious health risks in dealing with these risks. Authorities and workplace managers must take safety guidelines seriously,” Winkler concluded. : “Safety Institute trainers will continue to visit construction sites to assist and educate managers on identifying risks and taking necessary measures to mitigate them at each site, ensuring human life and taking care of workplace safety and workers’ lives.”
