Water damage in commercial establishments is not entirely preventable. Sometimes due to wear and tear, and every day use, damage may be bound to happen. Sometimes human error however or shoddy materials can bring about this type of issue, and this should be addressed immediately.

Immediate because there are a lot of stakeholders in a commercial establishment. Employees, workers, and clients all are at risk if there is a water damage issue in a property.

Apart from that, the business operations tend to suffer when water damage occurs. The Simple Dollar summed this up in one of the articles they posted in their website. They emphasized the importance of having a business interruption insurance ready for such a possibility.

“Business interruption insurance pays for lost income that is the result of an insured peril. That means if your business suffers physical damage from a fire and you are unable to operate you will be paid for the lost income. Under ordinary circumstances business interruption insurance is a straightforward proposition. Everyday threats like fire, theft, water and smoke are insured. However, when it comes to natural disasters, not having a clear understanding of what is covered can result in a costly lesson.”

Read the continuation here.

Protection from hazards

Inidiana University meanwhile published a comprehensive guide that details what commercial property owners should do in the event that severe water damage occurs in their building. 

“Before entering the space, personnel shall evaluate whether any additional hazards are present that were created by the water intrusion event. The evaluation shall always include a review of potential hazards such as electrical hazards and spilled hazardous materials (chemicals, biological, and radiological materials).  Note: Hazardous materials that are intact and unaffected by the water intrusion event should not prevent entry to an area to stop the water source.”

Read the rest of their guidelines here.

Food establishments

The North Dakota Health Department meanwhile published guidelines for food establishments who have suffered water or flood damage. They emphasized that food handling should indeed be handled well to avoid food poisoning and other problems.

“Carefully evaluate which foods to discard.  All foods and beverages exposed to floodwaters must be discarded, except for undamaged commercially prepared foods in all metal cans and retort pouches that are hermetically sealed (airtight).  You cannot rely on appearance or odor to tell if a food will make you sick. When in doubt, throw it out. Discard dry goods such as packages of spices and coffee and paper, plastic, cloth, fiber or cardboard boxes or bags of food. Discard cans that have leaks, dents, punctures, holes, fractures, burst seams, rips or are open, bulging, swelling, crushed or rusted.” 

Print out the PDF file here.

Water damage is indeed a safety hazard in any commercial property. It is important to immediately seek the services of a licensed water damage contractor to immediately rectify the situation and avoid further water damage.

San Diego Water Damage Restoration

If you recently experienced flood damage or water damage, the team at Mighty Dry is here to help. Contact us today to get started restoring your home or business.