Gift Focus - Nov/Dec 2019 (Issue 116)

101 TH MARCH Flood risk As we bed in for winter, its time to start thinking about managing your flood risk, as Neil McFarlane, chartered insurance broker and CEO of TH March tells us The Environment Agency (EA) estimates that millions of properties in England and Wales are at risk of flooding. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Northern Ireland’s Rivers Agency (RA) are giving similar warnings. At risk properties include those in danger from surface water, rivers and the sea. If your property is in an area prone to flooding, make sure you have appropriate insurance and flood defences in place. As always, contact your insurance broker if you need advice. REDUCING YOUR RISK The best way to protect your property from flood damage is to plan ahead. Use these recommendations to get started: • Complete a flood risk assessment. Consider your area’s flood history, and where your property is located in relation to bodies of water. • Develop a flood plan. Establish a procedure for handling a flood at your property. • Assign responsibilities for actions that need to be carried out. • Establish lines of communication for during and after a flood incident. • Ensure critical data and records are stored safely, or even removed from the premises. • Have contact information, including phone numbers, available for your company’s key personnel. • Put safeguards in place to ensure that employees and visitors are not exposed to danger and can leave the premises if it’s safe to do so. • Check your flood defences to ensure they are adequate and consider upgrading them if necessary. Defences may include: • Air-brick covers or other water guards for openings. • Flood skirts around the building’s perimeter walls. • Flood-proof doors and floor boards. If your property is in England, Scotland or Wales, you can also register for free, advance flood warnings through Floodline Warning Direct at environment-agency.gov.uk/flood or at floodlinescotland.org.uk For more information about your flood risk and to view flood maps for your area, visit these websites, England and Wales: environment-agency.gov.uk/flood , Scotland, sepa.org.uk/ flooding, Northern Ireland: nidirect.gov.uk/articles/flooding FLOOD INSURANCE If you have standard property insurance or a business insurance policy, you may already be covered for flood and storm damage to your premises – but you may need to purchase other policies, such as business interruption insurance, to cover additional perils. Read your current policy to find out what it covers and contact your insurance broker for help in determining your insurance needs. FURTHER INFORMATION TH March is a chartered firm of insurance brokers. Established in 1887, the company has offices in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Sevenoaks, as well as its National Administration Centre in Yelverton near Plymouth. To find out more, call +44 (0)1822 855 555, email giftware@thmarch.co.uk or visit thmarch.co.uk