Tornado Narrowly Misses Aluminium Plant....

The Aluminium Plant Safety Blog has a story where a tornado narrowly missed an aluminium plant. This story reinforces the need for natural disaster preparedness in our industry.

A tornado is defined as a violent rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground. The most violent tornadoes are capable of tremendous destruction with wind speeds of 250 miles per hour or more. Damage paths can be excess of one-mile wide and 50 miles long. Tornadoes may occur with little or no advance warning or siren activation.

On November 17, 2013 a series of severe storms formed a North-South Band and traveled from the Midwest to East Coast of the United States. The storms spawned numerous tornadoes with varying degrees of severity. Countless injuries and deaths occurred as the band of storms traveled across the Eastern United States.

The storm band that began in the Midwest and traveled to the East Coast of the United States.

The tornado in this incident is the EF-3 shown above (Orange Line).

Numerous tornadoes formed around the city of Lafayette, Indiana. One tornado formed South of Nanshan America Aluminum plant in Lafayette, Indiana. The tornado began as an F1 classification with winds between 73-113 miles per hour traveling North toward Nanshan Aluminum. In a span of 5280 feet (1 mile) the wind speeds picked up to 158-207 miles per hour (F3 classification). 

It is unknown how many workers were inside the facility at that time. It is assumed that if any workers were inside the facility they probably heard the tornado warning sirens going off and acted accordingly. 

If you never heard a tornado siren, once you do, you'll never forget the sound. Here is a video of a tornado siren. 

For unknown reasons the Nanshan American Aluminium plant was spared. Voestalpine Rotec their neighbor across the street received a direct hit from the F3 tornado. Here are some photos of the damage to the Voestalpine Rotec building.

The 10-12 workers in the Voestalpine Rotec building survived the tornado with no injuries. How can your workers prepare for a tornado? Here are some tips:

Before the Storm:

• Locate an accessible basement or corridor location in your building. Stay informed through local media sources on days when severe weather is expected.
• Obtain a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio with a warning alarm tone and battery backup to receive warnings, and keep a good reliable flashlight in your office/work area.

During the storm (possible indicators of a tornado):

• Dark, often greenish sky
• Large hail, large roar, similar to a train
• Cloud of debris (the tornado may not be visible)
• Wind becomes calm and still
• Frequent lightning
• Tornadoes generally occur near the trailing edge of a storm

When Taking Shelter:

• Proceed to the basement of any building that has a basement or subwalk. Position yourself in the safest portion of the area away from the glass. Be prepared to kneel facing the wall and cover your head.
• Occupants of wood-frame or brick buildings with wood floors should leave the building and go to a more substantial concrete building, preferably with a basement.

The Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale) rates the strength of tornadoes in the United States and Canada based on the damage they cause. Below is a table listing the EF Scale. 

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has some great information on tornado preparedness. It can be viewed here. As well as there is information on how to plan for workplace emergencies and evacuations, which can be viewed here.

Here is a video from the Red Cross on tornado preparedness. 

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