Majority of Employees are Wary on Safety During Extreme Weather Events
Almost half of survey respondents would like their workplaces to hold more training on what to do during an extreme weather event. July 27, 2022
By Mackenna Moralez, Associate Editor
In its 2022 Natural Disaster and Severe Weather Preparedness report, Rave Mobile Safety found that despite acknowledging an uptick in extreme weather events and natural disasters, the general public still does not feel adequately prepared.
In 2021, the U.S. had 18 weather disasters that cost more than $1 billion in damages and response. Just this year, we have reached record heat and storms, forcing residents, public safety agencies, state and local governments and workplaces to prepare for these weather events.
Key takeaways include:
- 90 percent of respondents are just as or more concerned about severe weather now than they were two years ago. Only 14 percent of respondents are hardly or not at all concerned that the intensity and frequency of natural disasters will increase in the future.
- Only 27 percent of respondents feel very or extremely prepared to face severe weather
- Currently, 62 percent of respondents receive weather alerts through a weather app, but the majority (61 percent) would prefer to get. Notifications sent directly to their phone via a text/SMS
- 86 percent of respondents have at least a fair level of confidence in their local public safety and emergency management departments to properly handle a natural disaster or severe weather event in their area
- Almost half of respondents (46 percent) shared that more communication from local officials leading up to severe weather events would make them feel more prepared
Even though a majority of survey respondents (85 percent) said they generally trust that their workplace would protect them during a severe weather event, 47 percent would like their workplaces to hold more trainings that outline what to do during these events. Steps that managers could take to better ensure safety are holding training courses, digitizing safety plans and offering a convenient workplace safety application.
Mackenna Moralez is the associate editor of FacilitiesNet.
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