Can a Firm's HR Records Be Protected From Mold Damage?

1/14/2021 (Permalink)

Local Business Owners Concerned About Mold Damage To Documents.

Keeping records is part of daily life for entrepreneurs. Human Resources (HR) are essential to any firm, and each department must keep comprehensive records. HR records include:

• Employee information such as date of employment and contact details
• Formal contracts and job descriptions
• Records of pay and bonuses
• Sickness and absence records

Many companies avoid mold damage by using electronic files. However, some businesses also have physical documents, especially for older files. Those physical papers need protection.

Can mold damage HR papers?

Yes, mold can undoubtedly damage HR papers. Mold is a naturally-growing fungus that can propagate anywhere that is dark and warm enough and provides moisture and a food source. Paper is one of the food sources that mold loves to munch on. As firms often keep older records in the dark cupboards or basements, they might be ripe for mold damage.

How can I protect my firm’s HR records?

The most important thing you can do is make the switch to electronic records if you have not already. Make sure you have backups of electronic documents, too – Cloud storage is helpful.

For remaining paper records, you might:

• Install dehumidifiers in storage areas to cut down moisture
• Store documents in watertight boxes so water cannot enter
• Keep files away from potentially moldy areas such as dark corners 

What can SERVPRO do to help?

SERVPRO teams include trained mold remediation experts, who can remediate mold and reduce the risk of it coming back.

We will assess the situation in your office building, and let you know the steps we plan to take to fix the mold problem. In many cases, we start by setting up containment around the affected area. We use plastic sheeting to seal the spot off, cover all vents, and switch off the HVAC to stop the spores from escaping.

For very mild cases, gentle brushing and decontamination are enough to save records. In more advanced cases, we can consider vacuum freeze-drying to halt the damage and restore the documents.

Our teams also monitor moisture levels and dry the storage area to make it harder for mold to regrow.

For help protecting your business documents from mold damage, call SERVPRO DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH