How to Prep your Operation for a Hurricane

Hurricane season is upon us once again and, as everyone in Florida knows, we’ll inevitably take a hit. It’s part of the price you have to pay for living in a tropical paradise! The good news is, we don’t have to worry about preparing a forklift for winter weather the way those in snowy climates do. 

Hurricane season is upon us once again and, as everyone in Florida knows, we’ll inevitably take a hit. It’s part of the price you have to pay for living in a tropical paradise! The good news is, we don’t have to worry about preparing a forklift for winter weather the way those in snowy climates do. What we do need to do as Floridians is to be cautious about hurricane preparation, both at home and at work. If you own a business that uses equipment like forklifts, you need to do some special hurricane prep.

• Make sure your staff has an emergency plan. Have a warning system in place, and make sure your employees know how to get out of the building quickly and safely in the event of a hurricane. Educate them on emergency procedures and hold occasional drills to reinforce the plan.
• Prepare your business for the coming storm. Make sure you have good insurance, and talk to your clients about what will happen if you have to close for a few days. Decide how to floodproof your building and protect your electronics and other equipment.
• Get your forklifts ready for the hurricane. Move everything either inside or to higher ground. Unplug electric forklifts and turn your chargers off at the breaker source. If you can, elevate the chargers.
• Forklifts are likely to need care after the storm. If your forklift has been in standing water, or has even had contact with water, do not attempt to start it. If it’s an electric forklift, unplug it from the battery. Don’t plug it back in or try to start any forklifts until they’ve been inspected by a professional.
• Be prepared to sustain some damage. Despite your best efforts, the hurricane may damage your property. Be communicative with your employees and clients, letting them know how long you expect to be closed and when you’re planning to be up and running again. Wear protective gear if you have to do any cleanup and get your insurance company involved as soon as possible.
• Check in with your employees after the hurricane. Connect with them to make sure they’re safe and discuss their availability to help with the cleanup so you can begin to recover.

Are you ready to add some forklifts to your fleet? Come and talk to us at Ring Power Lift Trucks. For 60 years, our locally-owned and operated business has provided superior products and the newest technology in forklift vehicles, meeting or exceeding our customers’ expectations. With 14 convenient locations throughout Florida, Ring Power Corporation has become one of the largest Caterpillar® dealers in the Southeastern United States because of our dedication to customer service. Whether you need to buy a new or used forklift, or you’d prefer a short-term or long-term forklift rental, we’re here for you. We also supply forklift parts and service in north and central Florida for every make and model of forklift.  Call 877.544.5438 or visit our website for more information.