Dealing with disasters

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Disasters, such as flooding or polluting spills, can effect almost any business. Ensuring health and safety should such an incident occur will be helped along the way by proper planning and, where possible, taking steps to prevent these disasters in the first place. Alan Scrafton, from environmental response provider, Adler and Allan, looks at common emergencies and how best to deal with them.

Many of you will remember the major storms and consequent floods of winter 2012/2013, which left countless homes and businesses at the mercy of rising water. The Environment Agency issued nearly 7000 flood alerts and warnings in 2012-13, the largest number in its history and, according to DEFRA, flooding is the worst threat to Britain as a result of climate change, with flood risk properties quadrupling over the next 20 years.

With the average cost incurred by flooding standing at between £75,000 and £112,000, for small businesses, and into the millions for larger organisations, water poses a considerable financial threat, not to mention the potential for pollution to the surrounding area; particularly where oil, or other hazardous materials, are on-site.

Apart from flooding (and often as a result of flooding), for businesses that store or transport fuel, or other hazardous material, polluting spills can be an issue. Having the correct spill procedures in place is essential to minimise risk to a site, its equipment, staff and the surrounding environment. Spills that could have been prevented or have been badly handled, could result in fines.

Assessing the risk
Whether for flooding, spills or both, the first course of action, is to assess risk. For flooding, in the short term, the Environment Agency’s website issues regular warnings for those areas at risk of flooding. You can register with the EA Floodline to receive these warnings direct.

Longer term, and to prevent future flood devastation, a Flood Risk Assessment (FRA) will assess a sites flood risk now and in the future – our FRA’s cover up to 60 years. The results of an FRA will provide information on how best to defend against rising waters, with a range of flood defences available for those businesses at serious risk.

Planning for disaster
For businesses at risk of flooding and/or polluting spills, proper ‘disaster’ plans should be part of any health and safety policy. Appoint someone responsible in house to take charge of the plan should an emergency occur. Appropriate spill care kits should be included, particularly for businesses that store hazardous liquids, such as oil.

Check insurance policies to see if you are covered for business interruption, loss of profit and water damage. In the event of a flood and/or spill, take pictures of the damage, both to the property and its contents for insurance claims.

If you know that water’s on its way, relocate stock, critical records, electronic equipment or anything of high value. This might not be possible in the case of large machinery, but saving something is better than nothing. Make sure all electrical appliances are disconnected and shut off the gas supply to reduce the risk of fire.

Floodwaters are often contaminated with sewage, or other hazardous materials (fuels, asbestos, farm chemicals, etc.) Make sure drains are clear, with hand operated valves on piping closed to prevent backflow through floor drains or plumbing fixtures.

Disaster strikes!
If, despite your best efforts, flood water has taken hold, cleaning up the aftermath quickly and efficiently is essential for saving water damaged equipment and buildings, as well as minimising any risk to the environment.

Acting quickly in the event of a spill will help reduce clean up costs, prevent the risk of legal action and minimise damage to the environment. Harmful spills include things like chemicals pesticides, oils, sewage and animal slurries, as well as beverages, food and dairy products – there are specific spill care products to deal with each type of pollutant. The right spill care kits and other treatments should be part of your businesses spill procedure and is essential for ISO14001 compliance.

For any emergency, a quick response is essential. Resting on your laurels when it comes to emergencies could see your business open to downtime, risking employees’ health, the surrounding environment, not to mention damaged reputations. Make sure you're aware of the risks and have the correct procedure in place to deal with them. If you haven’t fallen foul of flooding yet, it doesn’t mean you won’t in the future, planning ahead could save your business in the long run.

0800 592827alan.scrafton@adlerandallan.co.uk