Rain is a fact of life in California. Sometimes, the rain is torrential and damaging. But you still have to complete work on your projects. Here are five ways that you can keep the rain from ruining your productivity on the construction site.

Watch the Weather
If you want to know what you can expect on a given day or week, you’re going to need to watch the weather. Although meteorologists aren’t perfect at predicting the future, they usually have good estimates that you can use to plan. It’s easy to download apps to your smartphone that can give you updated estimates on the chances of rain and the level of precipitation on an hourly basis. If you know there’s a big storm coming in, or the likelihood of flooding, you can plan ahead. That way, you’re not caught by surprise and forced to leave in the middle of a task.

Know Flood Safety Practices
If you live in an area with heavy rains on occasion, it’s easy to assume that you can get around them. The problem is that lots of people put their lives in danger by making assumptions based on past experience. Every person who has to get rescued because they thought their vehicle could push through the flood is taking a big risk. Water doesn’t have to be deep to knock you over, or render your vehicle immovable. Instead, stick to these and other common water safety practices:

• Stay away from flooded areas
• Avoid walking in flood waters without protection
• Keep your vehicle on land

It only takes once for a simple mistake to turn into a tragedy.

Communicate Expectations
Once you have an understanding of the weather for the week, be sure to communicate this information and your expectations to the other members of your team. When you’re a business owner with a lot of responsibilities, it’s easy to forget that other people may not have the information that you have. If you know about rain in the forecast or the possibility of flooding, you should talk to your team about ways that you can manage it. Be clear that you want everyone to remain safe, and follow best practices to avoid danger. It’s better to have everyone take a different route to the construction site than to force a shortcut and not get there at all.

Establish Drainage
In certain parts of California, rain can accumulate very quickly. The best way to get rid of it is to ensure regular drainage. When you’re working on a construction site, evaluate the grading. Confirm that the land drops away from buildings, not toward. Make sure that you have a way to get water out if it starts to pool. And if all else fails, avoid working in areas that might be difficult to escape with prolonged rains or flooding.

Be Wary of Electrocution
The risk of electrocution is higher when you are dealing with rain or flooding. It’s not just that high winds or landslides can make power lines unstable. Water is an excellent conductor for electricity, and all it takes is a small amount of water in an electrified building to cause a problem. Whenever you see flooding, you need to assume that the area could have live electrical lines. Do not enter until you can confirm that the area is safe. You shouldn’t be walking through flood waters for a variety of reasons, but keeping yourself from getting electrocuted is one of the biggest.

As a construction professional, you’re going to have lots of opportunities to deal with the weather. The way that you handle them can affect the success of your business. For more information about running a successful contracting business, contact CSLS today!