Every business has a potential risk of flooding, not just those located nearby rivers and seas. When a catastrophic flood does emerge, approximately 40% of UK businesses have to close down after suffering repercussions. SMEs are often the worst affected by floods due to their extreme financial loss that can last over months. So what actions can you take now to protect your business from floods?
The aftermath of flooding is often very costly and typically involves replacing many business assets. The good news is there are several inexpensive tips that you can implement to help protect your business from a flood.
An undetected leak can quickly escalate to expensive damages. Check for any signs of a leak, for instance: water damage; or a drastic increase in your water bill where you cannot account for the excess water consumption. Businesses can easily track their water usage by installing AMR devices. Not only will these devices help to improve your water efficiency, but they are also often the first indication that your business has a leak.
There are many reasons that flooding occurs, one of them being the backlog of water from blocked drains. The build-up of fats, oils and grease (FOG) in sewers is a man-made cause that could easily be resolved by changing our behaviour. Flushing away plastics and pouring crumbs down the sink all builds up into underground masses in the drainage networks known as fatbergs. Switch to better business water habits to improve your business drainage systems and ultimately help prevent flooding.
Be mindful that different types of floods (e.g. groundwater, sewer, surface water) can have various effects on your business, so it is important to prepare accordingly. Create a business water contingency plan to ensure your business is protected for when a flood does arise.
Remember preparation is key! These plans could be the difference between business survival since most long-term flooding effects are not covered in standard business insurance policies.
Make sure you are also signed up to receive flood warning texts or emails for your business location. Flash floods often happen overnight, and nobody wants to wake up to a flooded business premise the next day.
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