Natural calamities are beyond our control. That’s not an excuse when it comes to protecting business records from Rain, floods, fire or others. Businesses operate, take decisions, thrive and grow based on the way they maintain records. But secured maintenance of these records is not as easy as it is spelt out. Storing records and protecting them through multiple weather seasons is not an aspect every business would want them to specialize, because that is not their core business. There is an entire discipline of Records Management - practised by Records and Information Management (RIM) Professionals who introduce systematic methods of storing and retrieving records on-time. Not every business has the awareness, takes initiatives and introduces records management and ensures their records are protected in detail. When not done properly, even a minimal exposure like rain droplets or dampness on the walls of record storage rooms might damage the entire business records. Factors that trigger Damages to Physical Records in the Rainy Season Dampness - Walls, roofs and floors when not insulated properly get dampness during outside exposure to rain. Even storage rooms that have corrugated doors get cool breezy air into storage rooms which in turn trigger all other damages to stored physical records. Humidity - When the humidity is low due to sudden drop in temperature, there is a tendency of paper based records to stick together. This might create damage of the printing inks losing valuable information getting torn off when separating the glued-up records. Mold Growth - Molds can easily grow feasting on any substances that offer nutritions like paper, glue and leather wraps. Molds spread and grow so fast that containment becomes almost impossible without drastic counter-measures. Continuous monitoring is vital here. Pests - During winter and rainy season, pests enter warmer rooms and storage facilities where physical movements are less seeking food and warmth. Pests like Silverfish thrive on paper based products like files and folders. Other pests like rats are dangerous for stored paper records and carton boxes. How to Prevent & Protect records from Weather Damage? Preventive Checks on the storage room Constant inspection and preventive maintenance in the record storage facility is a great way to prevent the documents from getting spoiled in rain. Unlike other times, the rainy season cannot compromise on the proper functioning of various tools including temperature control, such that a minute failure can cause damage to the paper records stored inside. Preventive maintenance will ensure all the equipment in the storage space is working properly and the walls are free of moisture. This can keep the documents completely safe from rain. Check on the weather insulation & sealing agents Rain is not just about excess amounts of water in the surroundings, but about various other factors like wind and humidity in the atmosphere. So, insulating the records storage rooms and sealing all the possible entries of water, wind and humidity is the next step in protecting the documents. Insulating the indoors can keep the place warmer and help the documents to be in an ideal temperature to be healthy. Along with this, all entry points including vents and windows should be sealed tightly to prevent moisture to enter the record storage facility. Install Climate Control & Monitoring Systems Temperature control and monitoring systems in the document storage facility are inevitable in the rainy season. The distortion in the natural atmospheric temperature will affect the life of documents. For example, molds can grow on the documents if the temperature goes a little below the freezing point and at 70% humidity. So a proper climate control system should be implemented in the storage facility to maintain the records safely. Again, monitoring provides a more complete view of the conditions inside a storage space as well as the performance of its climate control system, allowing professionals to make better storage management decisions. Secured File Movements Documentation and file retrieval is another crucial area where the focus is needed to keep the records unaffected by the rain. The files should be handled with utmost care and when transporting to the record storage facility, a new set of policies should be introduced for the handling of the documents in rain. Also, ensure the employees are following the guidelines while moving the files and it is not affected by moisture. Otherwise, there may occur serious damage to the files, and you might not be able to retrieve them. Approach for Preventing further Damage on Records Here is an approach to eradicate mold growth on affected records and prevent further damage. ISOLATE The best approach to address any affected records would be to first identify and isolate them to a safe and sterile location. Make a note of all the records, bins and identifiers before moving records across storage containers or rooms. Ensure the safe room has the right temperature, relative humidity, and aerated ventilation. If any carton boxes are used to store records, they need to be disposed of and not repurposed again. AIR DRY / VACUUM If the volume of affected records are in a manageable quantity, vacuuming is also a cost-effective option to clean the molds. Ensure proper temperature and fan speed to prevent unexpected incidents. REFILING Make sure 100% that the affected storage space and stored records are clean before restoring and refiling into the designated storage space. Ensure those returned records are still clean by frequently checking on every week. Follow the indexing process and double check the accuracy of filing so that records are not misplaced. Record Storage Facility as a Solution Record management is one of the critical aspects of any business. Getting the assistance of a professional record management company for storing your documents, especially in the rainy season can take a lot of pressure from your organization’s shoulders since protecting physical records from differing weather conditions requires a lot of knowledge, effort and tools. A trusted record management service provider like KAYMAN has a fully-equipped records storage facility and skilled record management professionals to handle the records in all climatic conditions and disasters. Take professional records protection assistance from. Ensure customer confidence, meet compliance, save cost and be completely sure about the security of the files, even in adverse weather conditions. Starting this rainy season, entrust KAYMAN with your Records. Experience peace of mind. Consult KAYMAN