If Hurricane Katrina taught us anything, it showed that we were not prepared for the forces that Mother Nature can throw at us. Without proper planning and guidance, we can put ourselves and our families at risk for illness and even death. To help put yourself in a better place to deal with such unexpected and catastrophic events, you need a plan that will assist you, no matter where a disaster might strike.

The truth is that we might not believe that we'll be anywhere but at home when an earthquake, flood, hurricane, or tornado strikes, but since we tend to spend much of our time at work, there's a high likelihood that you might have to deal with disaster when you're away from the safety of your home. Many work locations are metal buildings or steel buildings to help minimize these dangers, but you still need to prepare for the worst. Here are some easy tips that you will want to follow:

?Always have a safe supply of drinking water ? Each person may be trapped in a work location for two to three days without access to proper water supplies. In order to cover the people that are in your workplace, you will want to provide at least three gallons of water per person, per expected day. These will need to be stored in an area that can not be harmed or blocked by structural damage that may occur.

?Have non-perishable foods on hand ? Things like nuts, canned foods, cereals, and energy bars are great to have on hand for emergencies. These foods have a long shelf life and they provide you with the necessary calories for keeping up your energy.

?Keep extra medications ? If you're currently on a prescription medication, you will want to always have a spare bottle or device with you wherever you are. Simply have your doctor write you an extra prescription in order to always be ready.

?Know the evacuation plan ? When you need to get out of a building because of structural instability, make sure that your workplace has a plan. Practice the evacuation plan, even if you are in steel buildings or metal buildings. Sometimes, even they can fail under enormous stress.

You will also want to limit the possibility of harm that you might come into contact with. Make sure that you know how to turn off gas valves and water mains when you are at work, so that you're not spreading any toxic materials in the air or causing anyone to become ill from gas fumes. Again, the directions should be clearly marked by the valves and everyone will need to be trained to handle these situations.

In the end, you can't plan for emergencies to happen, but you can plan for what you can do when they do strike. By thinking realistically about what might happen and what you will need, you will make sure that you're in a position to help others, instead of needing help yourself.