Flooding and business

Preparing for floods

• What to do in the event of a flood
• What to do after a flood
• In the event of an insurance loss

Download Leaflet - Flooding and business owners (75 kbs)

Look at your existing business policies, and think about whether they are appropriate in the event of a flood. You might want to adapt your procedures to prepare for flooding.

Security procedures

• Security procedures - Locking windows, doors and setting the alarm. You might need more than one person to help do this.
• Insurance policies - Are you insured for flood damage, business interruption and lost revenue?
• Employee manuals - You might add flood safety to staff information packs, or adapt job descriptions to include flood warden duties.
• Hazardous materials plan - You must ensure that chemicals, oils and other substances in your possession are kept safe and do not contaminate flood water.
• Health and safety assessment - Plan to check functioning of flood products and flood warning systems regularly, just as you do for fire safety equipment.

Important contacts

• Make a list of important telephone numbers, including contacts for gas, electricity, water and telephone providers.

Staff

• Make a list of employees' contact details in the event of an evacuation. This might include mobile telephone numbers, or numbers for their home or the home of a friend or relative.
• Think about staff who may need special assistance in the event of a flood (e.g. elderly, deaf, blind etc.)

Key locations

• Know the location of cut-off points for gas, electricity and water. Ideally, these should be marked on a map that is stored with your flood plan.
• Know the location of chemicals, oils or other materials that could be dangerous or contaminate flood water. These should be stored safe from floods and other damage.

Protective actions

• Note key stock, equipment and possessions that may need special protection from flood waters.
• Consider things you may need during or after a flood (i.e. sandbags, plastic sheeting, loudspeaker etc.)
• See if it's possible to move key operations, such as shipping and receiving or customer services, to another building.

Suppliers and external links

• Identify products and services you won't need in the event of a flood, or which suppliers may not be able to provide. Make back-up plans or arrangements for short-notice cancellation of deliveries.
  
• Consider contracting in advance with companies whose help you may need after a flood. This avoids the frustration of finding help in an emergency, and puts you in a better position to negotiate costs.
• Identify people who can help you before, during and after a flood.