Disaster Recovery News

How savvy are you about document recovery? For example, did you know that laying documents in the sun to dry can actually cause more damage in the end? Joe Perko, director of field services at Rapid Refile, debunks many of the myths surrounding document restoration in an article for Claims magazine this week.

The article highlights common beliefs and misconceptions about recovering damaged business documents, such as whether vacuum freeze drying is the best method for reclaiming water-damaged documents and whether on-site document restoration is possible. Drawing on more than a decade of experience in the document restoration industry, Perko separates fact from fiction and offers a realistic picture of what can be done in the wake of a disaster.

Some key facts from the article:

• 48 hours is the magic number when it comes to minimizing mold growth or smoke damage. Documents treated within 48 hours of exposure to water or fire will achieve the best results in recovery.
• Contrary to what many people believe, film-based documents, such as X-rays, and documents that have been damaged by sewer water or gray water can all be recovered.
• A document recovery firm’s ability to provide access to crucial documents during the restoration process should be a major factor when deciding which company a business will turn to for help.
• Planning ahead for document recovery is the best way to ensure maximum results in the event of a disaster.

“Every business should have an emergency preparedness plan and document recovery should be an element of it, including sufficient valuable papers coverage and contact information for document recovery firms,” Perko concludes. “Time is of the essence during calamitous situations and advance preparation will go a long way in ensuring that damage to critical documents is minimized and business continuity and client service are maximized.”

Read the full article: Damaged Document Recovery: Separating Fact from Fiction

Image from the Fairhaven Recreation Center

The #1 New Years resolution among Americans this year was to lose weight. With this, gym owners prepared and anticipate a rise in gym members during the month of January. However, a gym in Fairhaven found themselves losing out on business as they rang in the New Year with water flooding their fitness center.

The Fairhaven Recreation Center had a pipe burst, causing water damage in the area where exercise machines and other fitness items were located. SouthCoastToday.com interviewed recreational director Warren Rensehausen, who stated: “It couldn’t have happened at a worse time.” January is one of the busiest times of the year for the recreation center and the Wellness Room was closed for repairs until all the water damage was remediated. According the Fairhaven Recreation Center’s Facebook page, the Wellness Room just opened back up this week.

The cause of the broken pipe is unknown. The clean-up from the waters included cutting into plaster to replace insulation, drying out fitness equipment, and waiting until everything was dry. Luckily the water damage was found early so the damage was minimal.

Business continuity is essential, especially during times when business owners know they’ll be busy. Business should have a plan to prepare for unexpected events like burst pipes or natural disasters.

Learn about how having a plan can help keep clients and save money on restoration costs.

Photo taken after Hurrican Katrina by the U.S. Army

When Hurricane Katrina caused extensive flooding in the state of Louisiana in 2005, the waters were an equal-opportunity offender. As a result, the St. Bernard Parish Courthouse also received extensive flood water damage as 3 feet of water just sat in the building.

In an attempt to keep business operating, courthouse staff found other parts of the building to work in as they picked through important wet documents in an attempt to salvage them. Business continuity led the courthouse staff to another worksite after extensive mold damage was discovered in the 70-year-old building’s walls and air ducts, and the chronically leaky roof did not make matters any better.

Big Mistakes

One dire mistake was made after Hurricane Katrina: no restoration specialists were called in to remediate the mold damage as soon as it was discovered. After only the floors and walls were merely wiped down (which probably helped spread the mold instead of kill it), the mold was never looked at until now.

A second mistake is that employees were allowed to work in the building before assessing health and safety risks, which means they were exposed to molds. Then employees were allowed back into the building to continue operations. Because of the lack of mold remediation, toxic spores were found. Nola.com reports that mold was found virtually everywhere in the building, but employees are not expected to have “any major health problem”.

The entire courthouse staff is going to have to be relocated until the mold remediation process is complete. Read more about this story.

Cleaning Mold

After there is water damage to any building, the building and its contents need to be dried ASAP. If not, mold will take over. If the drying process is not done correctly, mold will take over. One of the best things a business can do is call in a remediation specialist to help with this process; doing this will help ensure one is back in business quickly.

More on mold remediation.

Image from South Meadow School website

South Meadow School in Peterborough, New Hampshire recently welcomed a new school-year, but had to work harder than usual to re-open its doors. A couple days before school started, the school suffered major flood damage that came with hard rains that were too much for the school’s drainage system.

Flood waters went as high as 6-inches on the school building, soaking carpets, school equipment, classrooms, and drywall. When the news of the flood reached the facilities director, he immediately followed the guidelines of the school’s emergency disaster plan and gathered the maintenance crew to begin the clean-up process before calling-in professionals to assist.

The quick thinking and fast actions of all involved saved the school from thousands of dollars of future expenses. The actions taken saved the school from further damage from the flood waters and prevented damaging mold-growth.

The staff members at the school follow a business continuity plan and set-up make-shift offices in different locations of the school and even utilized the high school’s building during the flood recovery process. The attitude of the school staff remained positive as they saw the flood damage as a means to do some much-needed reorganizing.

More on this story.

Learn how your business can develop its own disaster recovery plan.

As storms move east along Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana, people from Mississippi are bracing themselves for the severe weather that is predicted to arrive on Wednesday evening. The turbulence is expected to last through Friday and can bring hail, strong winds, and possibly even tornadoes. This is warning is getting special attention after tornadoes just devastated parts of Nebraska.

Every person, business, and household should be prepared for the worst when it comes to damaging storms. Learn how to develop an emergency plan and disaster kit.

The recovery process after disaster can be long and tedious. Let a disaster recovery specialist assist you with your business and home to help you get back on your feet as soon as possible. More on disaster recovery services.