How do you protect your property from natural disasters?

Summer is here and so are the extreme weather patterns that come with being in Australia. Depending on where you are floods and fires are always a hot topic and protecting your assets ahead of them should be a proactive priority.

Here are 7 things you can do get ahead and protect your facilities:

  1. Clear tree branches that hang close to your building- if you’re area is prone to fires make sure you have any overhanging branches that could drop on your building cut down. Remember even the leaves can become a hazard
  2. Clean your gutters – any debris in your gutter can easily catch fire from one ember so if you haven’t done this yet, book it in! Generally, as a rule this would be done every 6 months. If you are unsure about the state of your gutters, get your maintenance or gardening team to do a quick assessment on their next visit.
  3. Gutter leaf guards – If you are prone to getting lots of leaves accumulated perhaps look at getting gutter leaf guards this will prevent the clogging of your pipes which lead to blockages and then flooding’s in the event you have a major down fall of water.
  4. Make sure you have your annual Backflow testing – if it hasn’t been done in the last 10 months, schedule it in! The last thing you want when a flood happens is the floodwater from the main pipes or sewage lines to come back into your main water taps.
  5. Check your roofing for any loose tiles or damage, then repair to stop roof leaks
  6. Have a flood and fire plan and committee in place which involves the following:

For Fire:

  1. Hose down around the outside to stop the fire from coming closer to your property
  2. Remove any valuable files if it isn’t already in a cloud or a fireproof box

For flooding:

  1. Activating a team to put tarpaulins on roofs (for hail)
  2. Cover sandpits, sandbag the cover to ensure it stays down
  3. Put sandbags around doors
  4. If your property is prone to heavy hail damage, have weatherboards installed to protect windows
  5. Move rugs, furniture, electronics and other valuables to a higher floor of the home, or elevate them.
Need help? Phone us on 1300 363 423