Avoid Document Restoration with Memorial Day Safety

Memorial Day is arriving quickly – a much-needed four-day weekend for many of us. This means spending time with family, friends and loved ones, and honoring those who have fought bravely to protect our freedom. Perhaps you will barbecue with friends, go camping or just bask in the sun with a good book.

Of course, many companies and businesses hold Memorial Day picnics for employees – usually on the Friday before, or on Monday for those stuck at work. These company get-togethers can be a great way to relax and get to know your co-workers. But sometimes things can get out of hand, and accidents can lead to fire or water damaged documents. Indeed, document restoration services may be needed if someone has one too many margaritas and accidentally causes a fire. Even a water or beer spill could ruin an important company document.

To avoid water damaged documents and prevent the need for emergency document restoration, consider the following safety tips for your next Memorial Day company picnic:

Dry conditions: First and foremost, dry weather conditions and low humidity make it easy for grass, brush and other dry plants to catch on fire. A loose cigarette butt or flying ember from the company BBQ can easily lead to a fire when conditions are hot and dry. A fire near the office building can cause sprinkler systems to go off, which will lead to water damaged documents.

Outdoor cooking: If the weather is nice, many company picnics are outdoors, generally in the parking lot or in front of the office complex. Outdoor cooking can be really fun but also dangerous if people are not paying attention to what they are doing. Mishandling the BBQ or leaving it unattended can lead to an unexpected fire that will spread rapidly. If any office documents or media catch on fire, you might be able to salvage them with the help of document restoration services.

Extreme heat: Memorial Day weekend is also a time when the weather really starts to heat up. With summer just around the corner, Memorial Day weather often ends up being very hot. Excessive heat can cause combustion fires and ignite other flammable objects. Indeed, even a nearby wildfire could send enough smoke near your office to set off sprinklers, leading to plenty of water damaged documents. Thus, keep all flammable objects inside or in the shade, and always follow any wildfire activity near you.

Safety equipment: The golden rule for preventing fires at company picnics– and, subsequently, water damaged documents – is having the proper safety equipment on hand. This means having a fire extinguisher (or two) on the premise at all times. Better yet, make sure your fire extinguisher is readily accessible and not locked in a cabinet on the first floor of the office!

Of course, if you do face the reality of having hundreds or thousands of water damaged documents, you can often recover your damaged assets with the help of a document restoration firm. Ideally, though, it’s better to prevent the need for such measures by playing it safe this Memorial Day.

[ Photo by: eddiecoyote, via CC License ]