How Being Prepared Saves Food from Water Damage in Amherst Restaurants

9/11/2017 (Permalink)

It is important to store food away from dishwashers to avoid potential water damage to your inventory.

How to minimize the effects of water damage to your restaurant inventory

Water damaged food is a big problem for restaurant owners. Food that becomes damp is likely to be unusable, and losing edible stock is a costly problem. Restaurant owners in Amherst can easily become victims of a broken pipe, leaking appliance, or even an accidental sprinkler activation. Once foodstuff gets wet, it is often too late to save it. That is why SERVPRO recommends taking precautions to prevent water damage to food.

Amherst restaurants benefit from water damage preparedness. It is beneficial to be prepared and never suffer water damage than to be unprepared and suddenly find yourself at the mercy of a leak.

The first step is to draw up an inventory of all the foods you keep on hand. Include long-life items such as anything in tins or packets, along with the fresh items you regularly buy such as vegetables, fruit, meat, and dairy. Now assess your storage facilities. Items that are vulnerable to water damage should be stored at least two or three feet above floor level, and away from potential sources of water such as dishwashers, leaking windows, or pipes.

Now draw up a backup storage plan in case of emergencies. Should something happen and you need to get food out of your restaurant quickly, where will you take it? You might consider a reciprocal backup storage arrangement with a nearby sister restaurant in the same chain, or with another local business. Be aware of the shelf life of food, especially that which requires refrigerator or freezer storage.

Set out clearly what each staff member is expected to do in the event of water damage. The plan might include protecting food items during their shift or moving things to another location. Provide them with a list of emergency procedures to follow and contacts to call.

Be sure to include SERVPRO on your list of important contacts. Our IICRC-certified technicians have all the skills and equipment necessary to pump out water, secure your premises, and dry and dehumidify the affected area so you can open for business again soon.

For help with water damage in Northampton, Ware, Hadley, Ludlow and surrounding areas, call SERVPRO of Hampshire County at (413) 324-1300 today.

For more information on Amherst, visit https://www.amherstma.gov/.