Commercial Tornado Shelter
Commercial tornado shelters protect workers in permanent and remote operations. An unusually powerful line of storms produced deadly tornadoes killing dozens of Southerners since Thursday. While other freakish weather events, such as wildfires, dust storms, and straight-line winds complicated rescue efforts, widespread tornadoes in the Deep South wreaked the most destruction. Although forecasters repeatedly warned residents of the impending fast-moving storms, many residents were unable to secure safety before the tornadoes struck.
What is a Commercial Tornado Shelter?
A commercial shelter is a reinforced steel super-structure, offering occupants perennial storm protection against 250-mile-per-hour winds and flying debris. Although most commercial tornado shelters protect larger populations, US Tornado Shelters offer readily available protection for every demographic. We engineer customized storm shelters for small manufacturing facilities, commercial warehouses, remote operations, and construction job sites. While most commercial tornado shelters are permanent, unmovable safe rooms on concrete foundations, US Tornado Shelter also provides safe room rentals for temporary locations.
Are Tornado Shelters Required?
Although OSHA doesn’t require employers to provide tornado shelters, securing temporary storm protection improves operations, instills peace of mind, and engenders brand professionalism. Renting a commercial tornado shelter for your temporary work site is the ultimate flex. This short-team lease, although minor in duration and commitment, shows prospective clients that you’re not counting every penny. Allocating a relatively small line item for storm protection reassures clients your workers won’t cut corners or haphazardly rush through a job for a paycheck. Optics matter in business, so don’t underestimate your company’s image in the public construction sector. While rolling off a CAT excavator or John Deere dozer at the next job site is empowering when your company is moving mountains in the work zone, failing to protect workers can scream financial insecurity to public works short-listing new contractors.
While federal safety agencies don’t necessitate onsite storm protection, many municipalities have developed guidelines for tornado shelter placement and construction. Always consult the authorities having jurisdiction over your base of operations before leasing a commercial tornado shelter. All U.S. Tornado Shelters meet all FEMA 320 / 361 & ICC500 standards for shelter construction. Moreover, we engineer each shelter to withstand 250-mile-per-hour wind speeds and flying debris.
Commercial Tornado Shelters in a Widening ‘Tornado Alley’
The latest southern and Midwest tornado outbreak isn’t another statistical outlier. Dangerous and powerful EF4/EF5 tornadoes are becoming increasingly common in a widening Tornado Alley. The weekend’s severe weather outbreak killed at least 40 people, including 12 in Missouri. Another three people perished in storms in Alabama Saturday. Six people also died during a tornado in Mississippi, which is experiencing a growing prevalence of severe weather. No community is immune from tornadoes. The death toll would’ve likely soared higher had the storms occurred 12 hours earlier during a workweek drawing to a close when zapped employees are more likely to be watching a clock than paying attention to mobile weather alerts. Our commercial tornado shelters give your workforce around-the-clock protection. Our FEMA-compliant aboveground safe rooms never clock out for employee protection – there’s no overtime for safeguarding what matters most.