Flood Preparedness and Response

Response/Recovery

In the aftermath of a flood, workers may be involved in a variety of response and recovery operations. The following are general guidelines that may be applicable to workers involved in assessing and/or cleaning up the damage to their worksite. However, some operations, such as utility restoration, cleaning up spills of hazardous materials, and search and rescue, should only be conducted by workers who have the proper training, equipment and experience.

Driving During Flood Conditions

It’s important to be careful when driving during flood conditions. Nearly half of flood fatalities are vehicle-related. Six inches of standing water is enough to stall some cars, a foot of water can float a vehicle, and two feet of moving water is enough to sweep a car away. If the water level is rising around your vehicle, you should abandon the vehicle.

Be wary of unknown road conditions. Do not try to cross flooded roadways if you do not know the depth of the water.

Hazards and Precautions

The OSHA Resources page has QuickCards™ and Fact Sheets that provide details about hazards present in flooded areas and after a flood has occurred.

For more information, and for the complete list of general guidelines, visit OSHA's website at this link: https://www.osha.gov/flood/response. 

Source: https://www.osha.gov/