Global research shows that Australia experiences a 130-day bushfire season each year. Due to climate change, extreme fire weather days have increased by 56% in the last four decades.
Whether in the country of the city, it’s essential to have a bushfire readiness plan to protect your property and people. Simple tips like commercial property insurance and a readiness plan can minimize risks.
Learn more about protecting your commercial property against threatening bushfires in this article. We will also provide tips on utilising a Public Liability Insurance broker’s ability to prevent damage caused by bushfires to your commercial property. Continue reading below!
Connect with Your Community and Seek Facts
The best approach to ensuring you are well-informed about disaster planning and management is to connect with your community and seek information. Your local council and fire service can provide valuable resources and trusted news sources like the ABC Emergency portal. It can give up-to-date information on active incidents in your area.
It’s also essential to know your property’s “bushfire attack level” and to understand the revised fire danger ratings. Check out your state’s version of the ‘Fires Near Me’ app and the global Fire and Smoke Map.
Have a Thorough Evacuation Plan in Place
Creating a thorough evacuation plan is invaluable for the safety of your staff and property during a bushfire. Take inspiration from Rick Rescorla, the US security director who saved many lives during 9/11 thanks to his commitment to regular fire drills. Follow these tips to make your evacuation plan bushfire-ready:
⦁ Designate a staff member who is easily identifiable during drills.
⦁ Create a list of evacuation routes and muster points.
⦁ Keep track of first aid-trained personnel and critical skills.
⦁ Decide who will collect the emergency kit and have staff contact details handy.
⦁ Assign roles for communicating with staff and visitors.
⦁ Store essential documents in a fire-resistant safe and ensure fire exits are unblocked and accessible.
⦁ Update your inventory and keep a copy off-site, including images/videos of each room for insurance claims.
⦁ Familiarise staff with your plan by running a sample bushfire scenario and check out Business Victoria’s last-minute preparations.
Clear Debris and Vegetation
To reduce the risk of fire, clearing debris and vegetation up to 20 meters from your commercial property is recommended, as embers can cause fires. Embers can travel up to 40 km and pose a risk to buildings.
Make sure to regularly clear your building’s gutters and roofs of debris and block any potential entry points for embers, such as air vents, doors, windows, and air conditioning units. It’s crucial to note that businesses are responsible for fire hazards on their property that may increase bushfire risks.
Store Flammable Materials Away from Your Building
Store flammable materials such as chemicals, gas cylinders, and wooden pallets away from your commercial building to prevent fire hazards. Make sure to follow Safe Work Australia’s guidelines for storing such materials at a safe distance.
Additionally, assessing the combustibility of the external wall cladding on your building is essential, especially if you’re in NSW. Keep up to date with the NSW Cladding Taskforce, which aims to identify and address facilities that may have non-compliant and combustible cladding materials.
Review Your Insurance Coverage
As a business owner in Melbourne, protecting your assets and property from potential risks is crucial to the survival of your business. While you may have insurance coverage, ensuring that you are adequately covered is vital, particularly as bushfire season approaches. This is where a business insurance broker in Melbourne can be incredibly beneficial.
An experienced insurance broker can review your current policy to determine if it accurately reflects the value of your property and assets. They can also assess your level of risk and suggest additional coverage options that may be appropriate for your business, like professional indemnity insurance in Melbourne.
Find Help at Reliant Business Insurance
Reliant Business Insurance can assist in refreshing and updating your commercial property insurance and explain any standard exclusions or inclusions, such as heat, soot, smoke, or ash damage, which may not be covered under a typical policy.
Suppose your circumstances or current policy have changed. In that case, we can help you find a better-fit commercial property insurance cover to ensure that your commercial premises are adequately protected.
Call us on 03 8905 4753 or email info@reliantbi.com.au. You may also visit our website at www.reliantbusinessinsurance.com.au.