Having experienced the 2005 hurricane season that devastated much of the Gulf Coast, the storage tank and terminaling industry should make plans now to protect employees and their families in the event of similar storms, said Admiral Robert Duncan at the Independent Liquid Terminals Association conference June 5-7 in Houston TX. The 2006 hurricane season officially began June 1.
"The first order of business is to survive, to know that your employees are safe and then to prepare to return operations to normal as soon as possible," Duncan said.
Plans for surviving future storms should include relocating employees and their families, evaluating in advance the vulnerabilities of facilities, and having anticipated equipment needs prearranged with suppliers.
He also advised companies to be prepared to adjust their plans according to the circumstances, but to set priorities. When communications fail, employees must have the authority to act on those priorities.
In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita an alliance was developed between public and private entities that proved essential for rescue and recovery. Duncan advised companies to develop relationships with those entities in order to strengthen preparation plans.