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Publication #FOR 115

Chapter 1 - Cleaning Up After a Hurricane: Safety Comes First!1

Eliana Kampf, Astrid Delgado, Carol Lehtola, and Mary L. Duryea2

Abstract

Cleaning up after a hurricane is an activity that involves dangerous situations, such as the use of chain saws and other equipment to remove fallen or partially fallen trees and branches. Most people do not realize that most injuries occur after hurricanes and other natural disasters, more specifically during cleanup! In this fact sheet we emphasize safety so that homeowners and tree care professionals can be better prepared to clean up safely after a storm. Six areas of concern for cleaning up safely are discussed in detail, including the use of personal protective equipment, clearing and removing debris, surveying the site, being aware of electrical lines and utilities, setting up a safety work zone and safely handling chain saws.

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Footnotes

1.

This document is FOR 115, one of the Urban Forest Hurricane Recovery Program series of the School of Forest Resources and Conservation and the Environmental Horticulture Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date January 2007. Visit the EDIS Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu and http://treesandhurricanes.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.

Eliana Kampf, Urban Forester, School of Forest Resources and Conservation; Astrid Delgado, Urban Forester Landscaping Specialist, School of Forest Resources and Conservation; Carol Lehtola, Associate Professor and State Extension Agricultural Safety Specialist, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering; Mary L. Duryea, Professor, School of Forest Resources and Conservation and Associate Dean for Research, IFAS; University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Gainesville, FL 32611

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.