Friday Round up – December 5

It has been a while since we brought you our end of week round up of news and events on the world wide web related to emergency preparedness.  This week brings us a short column on the use of reminders to employees to “don’t make yourself the first victim”.  A suspected Ebola patient is being treated in Boston and finally a timely article for winter climates addressing retailers on how to winterize their stores.

It is always a good idea to start news on a positive.  Regular reminders to employees and indeed to everyone to always keep supplies on hand comes from Chris Hertig at the Daily Record/Sunday News.  If we are not prepared at home, our workplaces will suffer from the absence of employees or employee focus.  It makes sense that our primary focus is on those closest to us and if there is any doubt about their safety, everything else will be pushed to the background.  Regular reminders to have “sufficient supplies on hand to survive a prolonged snowstorm, power outage or pandemic is one aspect of managing the problem.”

A more sobering article comes from the Boston Herald as “A patient possibly suffering from the deadly Ebola virus was listed in stable condition last night at Massachusetts General Hospital” The hospitals in the US have been preparing for months with specially designed Ebola units to assist suspected cases and this one from the look of it is being handled in the appropriate way.  Forewarned is forearmed.

Finally, “Avoiding the Winter Blues: 7 Cold Weather Preparedness Steps for Retailers” Great tips from winterizing your sprinkler pipes to prevent bursting to stocking up on first-aid supplies for common first-aid emergencies in any weather.  “No one wants to open their store in the morning to find that a pipe burst during the night or the roof collapsed from the weight of snow and ice,” Dave Mesko, Senior Director of Marketing, Cintas Corporation.  Read them and act on them to minimize your risk.

Stay warm and stay safe!