severe weather

Weathering the storm: Protocols and systems for alerting itinerant workers of severe weather

January 30, 2024

Clear guidance and alerts during extreme weather events or any dangerous weather conditions can help employees make the safest decisions and keep operations moving efficiently and effectively.

Here’s a hurricane recovery hazard you didn’t think of

December 5, 2017

Reinforced plastic tarps, commonly called “Blue Roofs,” provide temporary protection for the roofs of homes and other buildings damaged during severe weather such as a hurricane or tornado. However, when employees access roofs to install these tarps, they are at risk of falls, electrocutions, and other hazards. OSHA has issued a new fact sheet containing steps that employers can follow to help keep workers safe.

South blasted by deadly weekend storms

January 23, 2017

Southeastern states are picking up the pieces today after a weekend of severe weather destroyed dozens of homes and killed at least 19 people -- 15 of them in Georgia. News sources report that first responders are still searching for victims amid the debris.

Flying safely in winter weather

October 4, 2016

As winter approaches, U.S. airports, airline flight crews, dispatchers, general aviation pilots, air traffic controllers, and manufacturers will begin using new Takeoff and Landing Performance Assessment (TALPA) methods to improve safety at U.S. airports.

A DOL Blog post

When thunder roars, go indoors

June 5, 2016

In May 2015, a crew in Bonita Springs, Florida, was installing roofing on a single-family home. The weather was cloudy with rain off and on, and the crew worked between rain showers. At around 3 in the afternoon, the four employees completed the installation and were leaving the roof when a bolt of lightning struck a 36-year-old roofer in the head.

China crane collapse kills 18

Investigation launched

April 29, 2016

Chinese authorities said 18 people were killed and another 18 were injured in an accident at a construction site in Dongguan city in the eastern Guandong province in April. The accident occurred after a crane fell on a shed that was sheltering the construction workers due to heavy winds, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

OSHA: Circus tent in fatal New Hampshire collapse not erected correctly

Walker International Events Inc. cited for crushing, electrical, other hazards

February 23, 2016

The circus tent that collapsed in Lancaster during a sudden downdraft of air called a "micro-burst" on Aug. 3, 2015, was not properly erected and the circus operator, Walker International Events, did not follow repeated National Weather Service storm warnings, an inspection by the OSHA has found.

I was denied shelter during a killer tornado – and lived to tell you about it

Jorge A. Delucca Sr.

April 22, 2015

On March 25, 2015, I was driving, on government business, on highway 412 from Arkansas towards Tulsa, Oklahoma. I knew there was a forecast of severe weather and I was trying to get to a hotel in Tulsa before a storm developed.

Severe weather cleanup brings special hazards to workers

May 6, 2014

Extreme weather, such as the recent spate of violent storms – including tornadoes -- that tore through a large swathe of the U.S. can leave behind widespread damage and pose unique dangers for those doing the recovery and cleanup work.

Public safety

Battered Plains, Southern states brace for more tornadoes

Severe storms leave 18 dead over the weekend

April 28, 2014

Arkansas and neighboring states are picking up the pieces this morning after a series of tornadoes last night that killed at least 18 people – 16 of them in Arkansas alone. Rescuers whose search efforts were hindered by darkness fear that number may rise today as they resume their task, using bulldozers and backhoes to comb through the rubble.