Emergency Preparedness Toolkit: Health and Safety Hazards

Protecting Members after Disasters

Recovering from disaster is usually a gradual process. After a disaster, the first concern is everyone’s health and safety. It’s important to think about possible safety issues that members, co-workers and others may face. In addition, take time to monitor their health and well-being. Your members and employees will need lots of support and help with recovery at home as well as at work.

Health and Safety

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has an excellent health and safety section on natural disasters and severe weather, including earthquakes, extreme heat, landslides and mudslides, lightning, tornadoes, tsunamis, volcanoes, wildfires and winter weather.

In particular, visit the section on floods. Included are resources on what to do after a storm, covering topics like hygiene, re-entering your home and more.

Ready.gov also has a vast section on all types of possible emergencies, such as active shooter situations, bioterrorism, chemical emergencies, cybersecurity, drought, earthquakes, explosions, extreme heat, floods, hazardous materials incidents, home fires, household chemical emergencies, hurricanes, landslides and debris flow, nuclear blast/power plants, pandemics, power outages, radiological dispersion devices, severe weather, snowstorms and extreme cold, space weather, thunderstorms and lightning, tornadoes, tsunamis, volcanoes and wildfires.

Know what disasters could affect your area, how to get emergency alerts, and where you would go if you and your family need to evacuate.

Resources

• Protecting Yourself While Helping Others, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
  • En español
• Protecting Yourself while Removing Post-Disaster Debris from Your Home or Business,  a primer on best practices for cleaning up after a disaster, from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
  • En español
• Hand Hygiene in Emergency Situations
  • ​En español

Mold and Water Damage

One of the worst effects of water damage comes in the form of mold, which causes serious health problems. 

Resources

• CDC information on mold and health, indoor air quality programs, cleanup efforts and mold prevention.
• Environmental Protection Agency information for your home and workplace, as well as resources for health professionals.
• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
• Disaster Recovery Steps
  • En español
• Cleaning Up After a Major Storm
  • En español
• Cleaning Flood-Damaged Carpets and Rugs When to Discard, Clean or Call a Professional
  • En español
• Homeowner’s and Renter’s Guide to Mold Cleanup after Disasters a multi-agency resource guide developed by the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force.
  • En español
• Mold Clean-up and Treatment: Health and Safety Essentials for Workers, Volunteers, and Homeowners (NIEHS)
• A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home
  • En español

AFT Member Benefits Assistance

Member Benefits assistance after a disaster is limited to AFT credit card holders and mortgage program participants. The assistance takes the form of a modest grant (usually about $500). To be eligible, the member must:

• Have had the AFT credit card for at least three months or a Union Plus mortgage for at least 12 months.
• Have experienced a significant income or property loss within the past six months as a result of a Federal Emergency Management Agency-declared natural disaster or emergency in counties or parishes designated by FEMA as qualifying for individual assistance.
• Not have received an AFT disaster relief grant in the past.

For more information, visit Union Plus.

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