i) FLOODWATER – GENERAL
Floodwater will be contaminated in one form or another, this will range from sediments, soil, organisms, dissolved substances, and more worryingly chemical wastes and effluents etc., which can be particularly destructive. The nature of the contaminants will affect the speed and cost of restoration and cleaning of the premises.
We should not loose sight of the fact that flood water will not just enter a building through door openings, but more often than not water will and invariably does penetrate through the building fabric itself (walls / floors etc), cavities, air bricks, horizontal pipes, waste water fittings, sewage pipes, drains, and floor gullies etc
ii) SUSCEPTIBILITY OF CONTENTS & EQUIPMENT
Once floodwater enters a property the scale of the loss will increase dramatically. Domestic contents are very susceptible to flood damage and in many instances the contents of the ground floor are totally destroyed. The susceptibility of the contents in commercial premises will vary greatly but it should be noted that even the most robust equipment is likely to suffer some form of damage, ranging from partial corrosion to total destruction. In many instances the property does not even have to be damaged for us to incur claims costs, as most losses will involve an element of cleaning & decontamination. It is also not uncommon for otherwise undamaged property to be destroyed and replaced purely because the costs to decontaminate are uneconomic or because of a requirement to do so under Health & Safety regulations.
iii) SUSCEPTIBILITY OF BUILDINGS AND FITTINGS
The majority of modern commercial and domestic building stock in the UK was not built to withstand flooding (although some improvements are being introduced). Depending upon the severity of the flooding this can render the premises unusable and potentially bring normal business to a halt. Even once subsided, floodwater is likely to cause contamination to buildings and fittings and may be visible, oderous, or even invisible, for example:
(i) Concrete can absorb huge quantities of water and until completely dry can cause ongoing problems such as chemical reactions, fungal growths affecting both structure and contents.
(iii) Floors of absorbent chipboard laid over foam insulation and a sheet of polythene act like a resevoir; water gathers in floor spaces etc.
(iv) The chemical action of salts can effect brickwork, particularly on older buildings, compromising the damp course and setting up long term damp problems.
(v) Organic contamination e.g. silt is associated with most floodwaters and brings with it hygienic considerations, emphasised by offensive odours etc. However, fine silt particles contained in floodwater have an awkward tendency to also hide out of sight and can put down layers in floor voids, and inside cavity walls, rendering damp proof membranes ineffective.
(vi) Electrical installation which has been subject to water penetration or even moisture is susceptible and it is absolutely essential to ensure all wiring is well and truly dry before it can be used again and this can involve removing wall sockets and ducting dehumidified air into wall recesses (this invariably presents a catch-22 situation during restoration as drying equipment cannot be plugged into the mains supply of the building and portable power supplies are often needed).
(vii) Gas and oil meters and boilers may be affected by flood water and may require purging and require the installation of appropriate drain points.
iv) RISK MANAGEMENT
It should be remembered that Insurer risk advisers are not qualified hydrolgists or structural engineers. So although they do have some limited in-house risk
management experience they not able to offer formal risk management services to policyholders beyond standard survey recommendations. We would therefore recommend that the policyholder obtains professional advice, this can only be given by those possessing appropriate professional qualifications (such as a qualified hydrologist or specialist building surveyor recognised by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors).
A characteristic of any large body of water is that it will always find the weakest point in to any structure and by reducing the ingress risk in one location will potentially increase it in another. Any mitigation or alleviation measures should therefore be considered in the context of managing the risk at the entire premises and their potential impact on the wider environment and not just the originally expected point of entry. This is especially true for those multiple building premises where they are spread over a large site/area and we would recommend in such instances that the property owner would benefit from a more detailed "catchment assessment" or "hydrological survey", these services are commercially available but as we are not currently able recommend any preferred suppliers we would suggest that the Policyholder contact either their local Environment Agency office or Local Authority/Council for guidance.
v) FLOOD PROTECTION/ MITIGATION PRODUCTS
The flooding events experienced in the UK over recent years have highlighted the following:
• Formal government managed flood defence do not always prevent flooding from occurring
• Some locations do not & will not benefit from formal defences even though flooding occurs
As a result there is a need for individual property owners to become more aware of the risks to their property and to take a greater responsibility in protecting it from either residual flooding or total inundation.
The research & development of flood protection products is receiving a high level of publicity, especially in those locations that have previously experienced flooding. This has resulted in quite a number of manufacturers seeing a move into the flood protection market as a lucrative opportunity. Insurers are often perceived as an ideal partner for improving sales potential and we have to be wary of such motives.
Many product ideas never make it beyond the R&D phase due to the costs involved in getting to full production. Those that do become commercially available are marketed & advertised as being effective in helping occupiers mitigate the effects of flooding. The true effectiveness of any given product will however depend on the
characteristics of each property and the expected causes/level of flooding. In some instances the product may be totally unsuitable.
In an effort to enable consumers to make more informed purchases the British Standards Institution (BSI) in association with the Association of British Insurers (ABI), the Environment Agency (EA), the Flood Protection Association and HR Wallingford are producing a range of Kitemark specifications for flood protection products. Two were launched April 2003 with a third expected to be developed later in the year. The two current Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) are:
PAS 118-1 Flood protection products – Building apertures
Relates to products intended for installation across building apertures, such as doors, windows, air bricks/air vents and property entrances. And will include:
• Door boards • Air-brick covers
• Slows inundation to allow people to evacuate the premises and for possessions to be moved away or above the expected flood level
• Lighter and environmentally friendly alternative to using sand bags • Relatively easy to install (1 or 2 persons)
• Relatively inexpensive Negative Features of such products:
• Every building aperture must be protected individually
• Relies upon property owner/occupier receiving flood warning in advance & installing quickly & correctly
• Unsuitable for flooding of high levels and long duration
• If used in isolation, floodwater will still enter the property through the building fabric, e.g. brickwork, cavities, floors and drainage systems etc. • Will delay not prevent damage to the building and contents
• If not removed after the flood has potential to cause damage to the building fabric/structure
PAS 118-1 Flood protection products – Temporary or demountable types
Relates to products intended to be demountable or for temporary installation around structures. And will include:
• Pallet barriers • Board barriers • Skirt barriers
• Water filled barriers
Positives Features of such products:
• Potential to protect entire properties and sites
• Generally suitable for flooding of low to medium levels (e.g. <1m) for both short & long duration
• Slows inundation to allow people to evacuate the premises and for possessions to be moved away or above the expected flood level
• More environmentally friendly and generally more effective and quicker to install than sand bags
• More effective if supported by sump and pump within protected area Negatives Features of such products:
• Relies upon property owner/occupier receiving flood warning in advance & installing quickly & correctly
• Minimum of 2 persons to install and in some cases require additional equipment & machinery
• For long duration floods water will still enter the protected area through the barrier joins, up through the ground and over the top
• Can be expensive so normally only purchased where high value property at risk or where more than one property owner can contribute
• Potential for damage to be caused to surrounding third party property where flood water is diverted by barrier – no legal precedent in this area but would expect a civil case to be pursued
There are also many commercially available products/installations that do not benefit from any form of British standard or PAS, but can assist in reducing the impact of flooding - some examples can be found below:
• Water-resistant coatings for external walls • Flexible Tanking Membrane Skirt systems • Wire wall sand basket systems
• Tailored Drainage management • Water-resistant kitchen units • Electrical Appliance Raisers
• Large water-resistant bags for those items which cannot be raised or moved The use of any of the above products in isolation will not eliminate the affects of flooding but if used in conjunction with other products as part of a wider damage limitation / risk management plan they can reduce the cost of flood related claims.
It is therefore essential that before any underwriting allowances are made that the true causes and extent of flood risk at any given premises are established and understood.
It is recommended that a survey is carried out in every instance where such products are being considered or used and where appropriate a detailed flood risk assessment should be carried by the EA or other such recognised authority.
The promotion of the use of products and services that have passed appropriate British Standards should be encouraged. These standards will now allow the general public to make more informed decisions when considering flood protection product selection. It should be remembered however that the impact and extent of damage caused by flooding will vary considerably from one premises to another, even if they are within the same location, the result being that the effectiveness of any given
product will vary greatly. It is therefore unlikely that any insurer would wish to recommend the generic use of any single manufacturer or product in isolation.
We would expect product and service recommendations for individual risks to be obtained, as part of a detailed flood risk assessment, from a professional
consultation/specialist that possess the appropriate professional qualifications, such as a qualified hydrologist or specialist engineer/surveyor. Contact details for such
specialists should be available from the Environment Agency office local to the risk concerned.
Any request from a manufacturer/ installer seeking a specific insurer product