Flood Damage

How To Save A Business From Expensive Repairs & Business Interruption

 

Situation Analysis

Richfords Fire & Flood British Damage Management Association (BDMA) technicians were called out on 25th April 2009 following severe overnight storm flood damage in St Ives, Cornwall. Many homes and businesses were affected, including the ground floor of a popular ceramics shop in the centre of the town.

Objectives

The town of St Ives relies heavily on the tourist trade, and the flood damage occurred one week before a very important bank holiday weekend. The property required immediate building drying attention to get the business open again in time. This is not only important for the business but also to mitigate the business interruption loss for the insurer.

Considerations

Contaminated Water

The storm flood water is grossly unsanitary, containing large quantities of micro-organisms and other contaminants. Health and safety procedures need to be followed for people on the site, as well as decontamination and thorough cleanliness testing.

Implementation

• A Richfords British Damage Management Association (BDMA) Technician and fully equipped rapid response vehicle were dispatched immediately. The technician arrived on site 30 minutes after the initial call came in.

• A risk assessment and survey were carried out.

• A qualified electrician thoroughly safety checked the electrical system of the building.

• Damage limitation work was carried out and the priority was to prevent any secondary damage occurring. This included removal of wet carpets and extraction of any remaining water.

• Damage contents were triaged. The Technician examines the contents and categorises them as beyond economic restoration, restorable or unaffected.

• The area was thoroughly cleaned and decontaminated.

• After cleaning had been completed to a high standard, we tested for the presence for ATP, which is a component of living cells. If the level is low, we can tell that the surface has been thoroughly cleaned. It helps us refine our cleaning techniques and is very reassuring for the property owner. This test method is more accurate than protein swab testing.

• The KrugerAir injection building drying system was installed to the plasterboard walls. This specialist building drying process introduces very dry air into the space behind the plasterboard. The result is that the board is dried from both sides and removal and replacement is avoided.

• 4 dehumidifiers and five blowers were installed throughout the shop to ensure efficient buildign drying.

Results

Due to the design and efficiency of the Richfords building drying system the ceramics shop was able to open 1 week later and in time for the vital bank holiday weekend, therefore avoiding significant loss in trade and lessening the business interruption insurance claim.