Flooding and hail storms can occur at any time of the year, but often peak as temperatures warm during the spring months. Losses can be catastrophic, floods are number one in property damage as stated by Public Safety Canada1. Excess water as a result of rain and melting snow create an increase in the risk of floods.
With proper preparation, you can help mitigate the risks of an interruption to your business from the more radical and unpredictable weather including: torrential rains, flooding and hail storms,
FIVE RECOMMENDATION TO MITIGATE FLOOD LOSSES
- Create a flood preparation plan
- Keep water out with barriers, sandbags and other devices
- Relocate materials from lower levels. In some cases, this may simply mean placing stored items on one or two pallets, or moving items from lower shelves or racks to upper levels.
- Review shut down procedures for affected processes, especially hazardous processes.
- Check to make sure drainage, including roof drains, is open and flowing freely using the flood preparation checklist.
Preparing for such incidents can help safeguard your physical assets, as well as reduce the probability of a serious interruption to your business operations.
FOUR TIPS TO MINIMIZE HAIL STORM LOSSES
- Pre-planning with prevention measures is the key to successful loss mitigation. Last-minute protection actions are not feasible due to the random nature of damaging hail storms. Creating a hail preparation plan early can help mitigate potential risks.
- Consider upgrading your roof to an impact-resistant system, especially in high frequency hail areas. In the interim we recommend that roofs with rock ballast be maintained to provide an even ballast cover.
- Provide hail protection for roof-mounted equipment based on the priority of importance to your operations. HVAC, cooling towers, process exhaust, environmental control, refrigeration and other such equipment may need protection. Many products are available to protect your specific equipment, or protection can be manufactured as specified.
- Skylights are highly vulnerable to hail damage, resulting in considerable interior water damage. There are many products available to provide protection for these units while still allowing them to function in the intended manner.
CNA’s PrepWise Risk Control resources can help you prepare your business, property and employees to lessen flooding and hail exposures
[1] Public Safety Canada, 2020 https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/mrgnc-mngmnt/ntrl-hzrds/fld-en.aspx