Date: January 2012

If your clients suffer a flood what can they practically do to reduce loss?

Flood and general water damage to documents can be a source of considerable inconvenience to businesses. Even in today’s electronic age paper continues to fill filing cabinets because many businesses continue to maintain client contracts and other important documents in paper form. If your clients suffer a flood what can they practically do to reduce loss?

Most document drying specialists recommend freezing as a way of retarding damage because it stabilises paper for months and stops dye transfer, running mould growth and swelling. However, there are a number of things that can be done in preparation of freezing.

1 – Prioritise

Concentrate on the documents that are the most important or most valuable first. Ignore documents that can be easily replaced or re-produced from electronic copies.

2 – Prepare a suitable drying area

You will need space for drying that is dry, obviously, but also not too hot. Turn heating down, avoid using fans or de-humidifiers and keep windows closed.

3 – Handle with care

Be extremely careful with folded paper, it may be wiser to wait until it is dry before trying to open it. If space permits dry each sheet individually. If space is at a premium dry documents in small piles no higher than one-quarter inch and place absorbent material between each sheet. Remember to replace these when they become wet.

4 – Seek professional advice

There are plenty of companies that specialise in recovering paper documents that have been damaged by flood or escape of water. Most will have specialised equipment that can help with the drying and freezing processes but time is of the essence. It is better to involve them in the process as early as you can.

5 – Quantify losses accurately

The other major aspect to consider is the accurate valuation of the documents that may have been lost and the costs associated with replacing them. We have a lot of experience in this area and can help you or your clients get the right settlement.

Can we help you?

When you appoint Harris Balcombe you get access to directly employed professionals, including:

Chartered Loss Adjusters

Chartered Surveyors

Chartered Accountants

If you’d like a free consultation on a claim to see if we can help you e-mail us with some basic details and a suitable time to contact you and we’ll call you back.