Commercial business flood risk management

Following the events of 2015, flooding can occur at any time, and as a business you need to be able to continue no matter what happens.

Here are some steps you can take in the event of a storm or flood warning that you can also pass onto your clients. For owners and operators of commercial premises you can also send them our:

Planning ahead:-

• Check the relevant environmental regulator’s website to see if the premises are in an area that might be affected by flooding from a river, sea or other water source. If you have an English postcode you can get long term flood risk information online.
  https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/long-term-flood-risk/
• Reviewing the Environment Agency’s guide for preparing your property for flooding for more information on the appropriate measures that could protect your business.
• If your business is in an area which may be at risk of flooding you should prepare a flood plan. If you operate a business then you should download our Flood Risk Management Guide.
  https://www.allianzebroker.co.uk/content/allianzebroker/en_gb/application/content/documents/broker-support/risk-management/flood-guide.current.html

In the event of flood and storms:-

• The Association of British Insurers has produced a guide to Responding to Major Floods’
  https://www.abi.org.uk/~/media/Files/Documents/Publications/Public/2015/Property/Responding%20to%20Major%20Floods.pdf
• If heavy rain and winds are forecast, make sure unsecured items that can cause damage in high winds are secure
• Place important documents in polythene bags out of flood risk
• When you have received a warning that your business is going to be flooded:-
  • Prepare to take action in accordance with your Business Continuity Plan (BCP)/Disaster Recovery Plan and Flood Plan
  • If you haven’t prepared such plans then you will probably have very limited time to safely take action to minimise the damage which is going to occur. The following tips may be of some help:
    • Your first priority must be the safety of your employees, customers and visitors. If you are an operator of a business such as a residential or nursing home, boarding schools, hotel and similar establishment you will need to be speaking to the local authority emergency planning officer(s) and the emergency services without delay to notify them of your situation.
    • For wholesalers and manufacturers (without a BCP), determine what limited buffer quantity of goods, materials and components, patterns, designs and data etc, are absolutely vital in the short term in order for the business to be continued at a temporary premises elsewhere. Consider whether these can within the time safely available, be either moved to another safer secure location or moved to a higher storage location within the premises (where other less vital goods may currently be stored).

This content is by no means exhaustive and is for guidance purposes only. It’s not intended to amount to advice on which reliance should be placed. For requirements specific to your business, please seek professional advice.

For more information please do not hesitate to contact ourselves

Source – Allianz Insurance