What to Do if You Have Water-Damaged Documents

1. Don't panic. It takes 48 hours for mold to grow.

2. Stabilize the Environment
   • Reduce air temperature

   • In winter, turn off heat

   • In summer, turn air conditioning down to 65 F

   • Reduce humidity

   • Increase air circulation: turn on blowers if outside air is not warmer or more humid than inside air and utilize portable fans and dehumidifiers (Note: if necessary to open doors for air circulation, arrange for security of building and contents)

   • Eliminate source of water. Remove or pump out standing water.

   • Make emergency repairs to ensure personal safety inside facility

   • Be aware of potential electrical hazards

3. Prepare for Recovery
   • Determine quantity of materials to be salvaged

     Note: Based on damage assessments and salvage priorities, decide whether documents should be frozen and freeze-dried (extensive damage - more than 50 cu. ft. - most materials soaked) or air dried (limited damage - less than 50 cu. ft. - most materials damp only).

     • BMS Catastrophe can assist you by freeze-drying documents. The next three steps can be handled by either you or by BMS CAT:
       • Contact a local freezing facility.

       • Procure wrapping and packaging materials.

       • Arrange for transportation to freezer facility.

4. Remove and Relocate Damaged Materials
   • Remove highest priority and / or wettest materials first.

   • Packing the materials for freezing:
     • Assemble wrapping/boxing teams of four persons: 1 to set up flattened boxes, 2 to wrap bound volumes or groups of file folders and 1 to box. If freezer wrap has not been pre-cut, one or more people will be needed to cut strips of paper from the rolls.

     • If practical, interleave and/or wrap bound volumes or groups of file folders not exceeding 2 inches in thickness in waxed paper; items need not be wrapped tightly or completely - just enough to prevent items from sticking to each other or to the box. Avoid utilizing plastic bags.

     • Keeping like-sized materials together, pack items loosely in strong archives boxes and stack neatly.

     • Pack bound volumes standing upright or spine down. Do not open wet volumes

     • Pack file folders vertically

     • Label each box with identification information

     • Place lids on boxes

     • Stack no more than four boxes high

     • Collect boxes and transfer to a site for stacking and shrink-wrapping onto pallets no more than four boxes high

     • Transfer materials as soon as possible by regular or refrigerated truck to freezing facility.

     • Transfer materials to a qualified freeze-dry facility via refrigerated truck for freeze drying

5. Freeze Dry Documents