Flood Safety

The January 2011 floods in Victoria, NSW and Queensland reminded us of the power of nature and the importance of staying safe during clean-up operations.

The following documents and links may help if you need to restore your business’s functions. If you have any queries in relation to risk engineering or loss control matters that affect you and your building or sites, please do not hesitate to get in contact with ACE.

Site safety during clean-up
Most companies and their maintenance and engineering personnel are very familiar with conducting a Job Safety Analysis (JSA), operating a lockout/tagout procedure and applying safety grounds before working on equipment and depressurising systems.

However, these are just some of the safety aspects that need to be considered before a site is made safe for post-flood clean-up work. There are also other important safety issues that need to be addressed when working in a post-disaster clean-up environment.

Air quality, building structural integrity (internal and external), temperature and humidity and site contamination (sewage and other biological or chemical contaminants) may all need to be considered and evaluated. It is the responsibility of a company to keep its own people safe as well as visitors. This could mean supplying staff and visitors with personal protective equipment such as rubber boots, respirators or dust masks, rubber gloves, safety helmets and glasses.

Additional induction procedures are likely to be required to keep all contractors and employees advised of changing hazards and on-site exposures. Frequent safety meetings are one way to help keep everyone advised of what is happening and what precautions need to be taken.

The following simple checklist provides an outline of some points to consider:

• Is your building structurally sound and can it be safely entered? If you have any doubts, engage the services of a licensed structural engineer.
• If your site has been inundated with water and this has covered electrical wiring, power outlets or other electrical installations, organise a licensed electrical contractor to check your premises as soon as flooding has abated. They will need to provide your electrical supply provider with a formal document which clears the premises for electrical supply to be reconnected.
• If your site remains without power once a licensed electrical contractor has given the all-clear, contact your electrical supply provider for further advice.
• Unplug all electrical appliances affected by water and have them inspected by a licensed electrical contractor before use.
• Do not operate electrical appliances or switches while standing in water or damp conditions.
• Switch power off at the switchboard during clean-up operations that use water or high-pressure cleaners.
• Take care when cleaning up your property as fallen power lines hidden in branches, debris or water can be extremely dangerous. If you find a fallen power line on or near your property, keep well away, warn others and call emergency services on 000.
• Has your site possibly been contaminated with sewage or other biological or chemical contaminants? If so, personal protective equipment or decontamination may be required before clean-up work can be undertaken.
• Once materials start to dry out, will your existing fire protection systems still be operational and provide the necessary protection for life and property? Are fire pumps still operational? Are alarm lines to the fire department working and extinguishers operational? If not, have you advised your insurance broker and insurer of the fire impairment situation? They may be able to assist in providing advice on suitable precautions to take.
• What changes, if any, are required to your emergency evacuation plans? Have access routes or assembly points changed? Are all your wardens still available?
• Think about contractor controls. It is likely that numerous contractors will be involved in assisting you in your clean-up. Are you able to track who is on site, whether they are insured and properly licensed, know what they are doing and are adequately supervised and controlled?
• Do you have adequate controls such as a Hot Work Permit system and a Plastic Panel Work Permit in place?

ACE Global Property Risk Engineers can provide you with further advice and assistance about these matters to ensure that adequate controls are established.