Tornado Shelter Location

Tornado shelter location is your project safety manager’s top priority. Logistics personnel should locate easily accessible tornado-safe rooms near working areas without congesting pedestrian traffic and work equipment. Rapidly deployable tornado shelters offer turnkey protection, engendering peace of mind while boosting employee morale.

Tornado Shelter Location Considerations

Site engineers must centrally locate tornado shelters on level ground. Never place tornado shelters or safe rooms in flood zones. Avoid placing shelters too close to nearby infrastructure that impedes foot traffic. Company safety managers must also include an evacuation route in well-rehearsed company emergency management plans. While streamlined shelters with narrow profiles provide maximum safety space for employees, foreman and inventory specialists should never store work equipment in a safe room during operational hours. Some state and local municipalities require segregated toilets for schools and public venues. Prospective clients should consult their town’s planning board before purchasing or leasing a tornado shelter.

Shelter Designation

Although construction sites, manufacturing facilities, and warehouses provide ample floor space for safe rooms and tornado shelters, designating safe room placement prevents operational intrusions. Placing tornado shelters in open corridors allows quick evacuation during tornado warnings. Employees should not encounter physical barriers, like work equipment and scaffolding, during emergency exits. Vulnerable personnel, especially in heavy construction zones, would benefit from a tornado shelter location at hallway and corridor exits, possibly near a parking lot or worker entry/exits.

Maintaining Tornado Shelter Location

Site maintenance is crucial for tornado shelters. Safe room locations’ egresses should be free of debris, fall, and trip hazards. Overhead or emergency flood lights should illuminate community safe room pathways during darkened working hours or power outages due to storms. Moreover, sanitary staff should routinely clean tornado shelters to prevent virus breeding, common in confined quarters. Safety engineers must routinely replenish and update emergency and first-aid kits.

Lease vs Buying

U.S. Tornado Shelters sells and leases construction sites and community safe rooms. We offer tornado shelters of various sizes customized to your workflow processes. Although permanent tornado shelters best serve construction sites and warehouses, transient jobsites and remote operations, which frequently change, should consider leasing community safe rooms. Tornado shelter rentals offer identical sizing and customization options as purchased safe rooms at a fraction of the price.