Queensland is known for being the resilient state for a reason. We can experience just about every type of extreme weather event there is, from floods to droughts, fires, cyclones, thunderstorms, heat waves and hailstorms – sometimes enduring multiple at once!
Resilience is what keeps us Queenslanders getting back up after these events, but there’s a lot that we can do beforehand to better fortify ourselves and our valuable information assets such as preparation, planning, and teamwork.
In our most recent newsletter, we covered disaster preparedness with a link to our video resource “Disaster Preparedness- 5 tips to help you prepare to protect your records”. Read ahead for further tips on how to become better prepared for disaster season.
Identify and prioritise high-value and high-risk records:
In an ideal world, all records would be kept safe and sound at all times, but extreme weather is never ideal. In an emergency situation, you will likely be limited on which records you can protect due to external factors such as time, capacity, and safety precautions, so it’s important to know which records to prioritise.
High-value and high-risk records should be given priority over lower value, lower risk records such as transitory records. Your records team should already know which records are high-value, high-risk or vital. If not, make it a priority to identify these.
Once identified, you should make your high-value, high-risk records easily recognisable – especially for staff members who may not regularly deal with records. For example, you could achieve this by adding a bright “High Priority” sticker to the outside container of records.
Whatever system works best for your public authority is key (as long as it doesn’t alter the actual records themselves of course!) That way if a disaster event is impending, no matter what staff are working at the time, they should be able to work together to swiftly secure high-value, high-risk records.
You’ll also want to give these records priority in terms of where they are kept. They should be placed in the most secure area available and high off the ground to keep them as protected as possible.
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It is important to identify high-value records
Invest in storage:
Investing in quality records storage can in some cases be half the solution.
Shipping containers are not ideal solutions for records storage for many reasons. They are not waterproof, they allow dust, debris and pests in and do not have good air circulation which can lead to mould growth.
Although convenient, basements are also not an ideal records storage area. Basements are easily susceptible to becoming damp and humid, with one of their most prevalent issues being water leaks. This combined with darkness and poor ventilation is the perfect recipe to encourage mould growth. Foundational and flooring cracks are another common problem due to ground movement and seasonal temperature changes. This not only makes basements susceptible to structural damage but also makes them attractive to rodents, insects and other pests seeking shelter as they can sneak in through the smallest of cracks.
You can see Records storage standards and environmental conditions | For government | Queensland Government on our website for storage standards we recommend.
Otherwise, off-site storage options may be a better alternative for those with limited space/ facilities.
Regularly inspect your records storage areas:
It is important to regularly monitor records storage areas to ensure they can withstand disaster season or have not been damaged from previous weather events.
A few things to look out for include:
- Is the roofing fully intact?
- Is the structural integrity sound i.e. no cracks in walls or flooring, no warped walls/ doorways, or windows?
- Are there any signs of damage such as water leaks/ water stains/ damp areas?
- Are gutters free of debris to allow for proper drainage during wet weather/ minimise flammable materials during the dry season?
- Are air circulation/ temperature controls still functioning properly?
- Is there a musty smell indicating potential mould growth?
- Any visible signs of mould growth on records, containers, or packaging?
By making regular inspections of your records storage areas a routine practice, you will be more likely to catch issues as they appear and prevent them from becoming catastrophic.
Impending weather action plan:
In most cases, we will have enough notice about impending weather events to prepare beforehand. Put together a dedicated team and a written action plan to give your records the best chance of staying protected when severe weather is incoming.
Your impending weather action plan might include:
- Backup all electronic records systems a few days before an impending weather event
- Return all physical records to their storage location and make sure that no records are exposed or left on the ground
- Move high-value, high-risk records to a safer location
- End of working day preparation e.g. unplug and move all electronics up off the ground
- Print all key documents such as salvage priority list, business continuity plan, contact details etc. and have them easily accessible in case IT systems go down.
Stay informed:
Make it routine practice to regularly check weather forecasts. Keeping up to date with weather alerts and warnings issued by the Bureau of Meteorology can give your public authority the most time to prepare for any incoming weather events.
Keep your plans up to date:
Treat your disaster plans and documents as living documents. They should be revisited regularly to ensure the plans evolve with your business over time and details stay current, including staffing changes and contact details. Up to date information is essential when disaster arrives.
Remember, disaster preparedness is everyone’s responsibility. Ideally your whole public authority will be involved in the process, and everyone should know the plan. Above all else, your safety and wellbeing are the most important things to take care of during disaster season.
Whatever the weather may be, Queensland State Archives wants to help your public authority feel as prepared as possible and have the best chance of protecting your records this disaster season.
Get in touch with us at rkqueries@archives.qld.gov.au for any questions or resources to help your public authority become disaster prepared.