Records and registers: What to do in case of disaster (fire, flood)

– INSPECTION CAPSULE –

(Update of the article published on August 7, 2008)

Unfortunately no one is safe from disasters; such events are usually unforeseeable and can partially or completely destroy records and registers of an agency or broker acting on his own account. But there are precautions that can be taken to avoid the loss or destruction of your records and registers due to a flood or fire.

What to do if your documents are damaged following a disaster?

As an agency or broker acting on his own account, you must:

• Notify your insurance company. You may have ''valuable document'' or ''important document'' coverage that can help you recover your documents or cover the labour costs of rebuilding your records;
• Try to recover as many records as possible;
• Make a list of your losses (list records and identify registers);
• Send a letter to the Inspection Department with the date and details of the event; and
• Keep proofs of the event, such as photos, a copy of the notice sent to your insurance company, invoices for cleaning by a specialized firm, etc.

In addition, if the Inspection Department or the Office of the Syndic should require one of the destroyed documents sometime in the future, the agency or broker acting on his own account may have to provide a substantiated explanation.

Preventive measures

Remember that an agency or broker acting on his own account must take the measures necessary to prevent the loss or destruction of the records and registers.

Here are some of the concrete steps that can be taken:

• Store records and registers in a dry place safe from flooding (avoid storing them in a basement, for example, or at least make sure the boxes are off the ground to prevent contact with water);
• Use ''firewall'' type filing cabinets;
• Use the services of an archiving firm. Storing with one of these firms is a very safe way to manage one’s documents. In addition, these archiving firms take care of the calendar of preservation and destruction of documents based on the deadlines you provide them with;
• Use the electronic management of records and registers. In this regard, see on Synbad the article entitled Electronic Document Management (EDM): Maintenance, Preservation and Archiving of Records and Registers.

Acting with foresight can avoid many problems. If you’re due for a major cleanup, take this opportunity to reorganize your records if you think they might be at risk. For any question, contact the OACIQ Info Center by email at [email protected] or by telephone at 450-462-9800 or 1-800-440-7170.

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