At this point, the safety and structural integrity of homes, roads, bridges and other buildings becomes the domain of construction teams. According to OSHA, employers are required to protect workers from the anticipated hazards associated with flood response and recovery operations that workers are likely to conduct.

During response and recovery, there are general guidelines that may be applicable to workers involved in assessing and/or cleaning up damage in public areas and to their worksite. Crews need to remain aware of the instability of conditions after a natural disaster.

According to OSHA recommendations, workers need to understand and respect the fact that some operations will require workers who have specialized training, equipment and experience. Among the hazards construction workers need to be aware of in flooded areas and after a flood has occurred are:

• Downed electrical wiring
• Debris and tree damage
• Exposure to mold
• Lifting injuries
• Carbon monoxide
• Wildlife hazards
• Fire
• Exhaustion related to working long shifts
• Drowning
• Heat exhaustion
• Hypothermia

For example, flood-water quickly fills with debris from trees, buildings and homes, including sewage. Water depth can be difficult to determine. Workers should not venture into water unless they have the gear and proper training to assess and move in that environment.

A work area should also be assessed for large debris as well as branches that have broken but not yet fallen. Both pose a risk.

Wildlife is yet another environmental hazard. Colonies of stinging insects, such as fire ants and wasps, can be pushed from their nests and travel in flood waters. It’s also likely to find insects and other wildlife nesting or hiding in debris. Animals that are disoriented or injured may be more aggressive.

In addition to risks posed by downed electrical or other utility lines, workers are also at risk for exposure to toxic fumes, silt, dust and mold, which can create respiratory problems. OSHA provides a number of “Quick Cards” that outline each of these hazards and serve as a education resource before a crew is deployed to a work site.

The PDFs also can be downloaded and printed or saved to a mobile device. Each card describes the hazard, precautions to take, and in some cases, what to avoid doing in the presence of a specific hazard.

Additional education to provide crews about floods includes terminology related to warning systems and ratings as they may encounter in reports by national and local media.

Resources

• South Carolina Recovery Updates 
• Employer Responsibility and Worker Rights – Introduction
• OSHA Flood Planning and Preparedness
• OSHA Flood Preparedness and Response, Quick Cards
• The No-Nonsense Guide to Flood Safety by Jeffrey D. Sims
• Flood Terminology
• National Weather Service Hazardous Weather Terminology