East Coast Low Event – March 2021
NSW Storms
Many of our customers, staff and contractors in New South Wales have been impacted by what has been described as the worst rain event in three decades, leaving properties severely damaged by this devastating storm and flooding. To date AJ Grant has received 300 plus jobs, half of these requiring some sort of make safe and we expect to see these numbers increase significantly over the coming days as communities are allowed back to their homes.
The full extent of damage is unknown as certain areas are not accessible due to flood waters, however, the damage to the properties we have seen is severe leaving our customers feeling very vulnerable. The Insurance Council of Australia has declared this as an insurance catastrophe which means these claims will be closely monitored by our clients, therefore, it is important you stay abreast of the information we will share with you.
An important message to our contractors: to ensure the safety of our contractors it is important that you take every precaution when attending these job sites. Please refer to this safety alert for guidance and if you have any concerns about the job site, please contact the job supervisor before proceeding with any work.
Make Safes
Make safes are our priority in the first few days of any event to ensure our customers properties are safe and not at risk of further damage. AJ Grant is triaging every claim and will categorise these into 2 levels based on the varying levels of damage: –
LEVEL ONE: Single & double storey properties, minor water damage caused by leaking roof or minor tree impact, internal damages to ceiling and contents, power supply possibly interrupted
If the property has been categorised as Level One, the make safe process is likely to involve: –
- ELECTRICIAN to disconnect and isolate power to affected area of the home
- RESTORATIONS to install drying equipment and dehumidifiers as required to mitigate further loss
- CARPENTER/ROOFER to secure any internal linings or internal item/s deemed hazardous or a safety risk to you and your family
- CARPENTER/ROOFER to install a tarp or plastic sheet to prevent further water entry
- TREE LOPPING/DEBRIS REMOVAL to remove small to medium size tree branches and ensure site is safe
LEVEL TWO – Single and double storey properties, major water damage or flooding, major impact from tree, major internal damage to ceilings and contents, power supply interrupted, property inhabitable.
If the property has been categorised as Level two, the make safe process is likely to involve: –
- ELECTRICIAN to disconnect and isolate power to the home and if required set up a temporary power board in preparation for restorations and repairs
- RESTORATIONS to install drying equipment and dehumidifiers as required to mitigate further loss, remove water damaged carpet and contents
- CARPENTER/ROOFER to secure or remove any internal linings or internal item/s deemed hazardous or a safety risk to you and your family
- CARPENTER/ROOFER to install a large tarp to entire roof to prevent further water ingress, temporary roof lining may be required if structural damage exists
- TREE LOPPING AND DEBRIS REMOVAL to remove large trees and/or branches, to barricade off where the root ball has left a large hole
If you are assisting us with make safes it is important you and your workers carry out the work safely. Please also ensure you complete the make safe report and invoice your jobs as soon as the works are complete so that we can provide our clients with up to date reports on the status of claims.
Please continue to visit this page as we will ensure to keep you updated on the latest information relating to this event.
