Prepared for Winter?

“Whether prepared for winter, or reacting to its catastrophic results, now is the time to take careful action, “says Jean Arnott, Senior Area Development Office for Scotland for H&H Insurance Brokers.

Jean who lives in Aberdeenshire herself has seen firsthand the damage, caused by the last 2 days’ hurricane force winds and rain.

H&H Insurance Brokers provide specialist insurance services for a diverse range of farms and rural businesses across Scotland and the North of England.  Jean gives some advice for minimising your risk and ensuring you are prepared for your claim:

If the wind has carried away such as a roof or a wall, you must notify your insurer as soon as possible even if you are not sure if a claim will ultimately be made through the insurance.  It is much easier to stop a claim than to explain why you have made a late application.

If the damage has been done, take some photographs as soon as it is safe to do so. These will help your insurer in assessing the damage and means that temporary repairs are not going to be held up.

If you have a contractor that normally carries out repairs to your farm buildings, contact him to provide costings for the repairs and to assess the need for temporary repairs to the property in the interim. But remember that until your insurer agrees to the claim and accepts the costs are acceptable, any repairs authorised by the client may have to be paid by the client.

Never enter storm damaged buildings unless you are sure that it is safe to do so –further damage inside a building, not immediately obvious from the outside, may await you. And remember that roofing materials dislodged in the initial storm may come loose at any time, causing more damage to anything beneath.

If a storm of any sort is threatening, protect vehicles by parking them well away from where falling slates and debris, including snow off a roof, could hit them.

Farm house gardens are usually a haven for wildlife and birds, but their feeding stations, if not secured, can become a “javelin of the garden” and cause serious damage to parked vehicles, or anything nearby. Beware of trampolines, especially. They fly well in strong winds! If further strong winds are forecast, remove these from the garden and store safely inside.

Then, batten down the hatches and sit it out!

But not before you have thought about your outliers. Sheep are often away for over wintering, in stubble fields or similar. Often these fields do not have permanent livestock gates, and are secured by temporary barriers tied with rope or string – remember these are much more likely to blow down or even blow way. As a result your livestock escapes onto the road, which of course is not what you or an unsuspecting motorist is looking for.

Now you are thinking about prevention, remember some of the other things that winter threatens you with, reminds Jean.

Check your farm. With farm buildings, NOW is the time to check that:

• All gutters are clear of fallen leaves and other wind driven debris & are securely attached to the building.

• Drains are running freely. Overflowing drains could cause rain water to be backed up into buildings causing damage to the contents.
• Any loose tiles or slates are repaired or replaced as necessary.
• Roof Sheeting is checked for cracks and replaced where needed to ensure the sheds are kept watertight.
• Tracks for Shed Sliding Doors are running smoothly and the doors are properly attached both top and bottom – to prevent the doors becoming detached during strong winds.

And check your insurance cover. It is vital to ensure that you understand what insurance protection is in place for your farm property.

If you have erected any new sheds over the summer, check that your insurance company knows of the changes. Likewise, if the usage of any building has been changed from agricultural to commercial, you will need to make sure that your insurance covers have been updated to reflect these changes.

If buildings are not in good state of repair and previous damage has not been taken care of, your farm insurers may not pay for subsequent repairs. If they do agree to cover the repair costs, the insurers may well look for a contribution to compensate for the existing poor state of the buildings.

If you have slates or tiles that are known to be loose your insurers can look for the damage bill to be settled by you if you have not made sure that the roof was safe and secure.

Most importantly think ahead about the implications of any damage to farm buildings which are used on a year round basis, be it for grain or feed storage, machinery shed or livestock indoor housing. Building repairs are rarely a quick fix. It can be quite some time before quotes have been prepared, discussions with your local planning department have taken place, supplies have been ordered and the weather is suitable for the work to start. And lambing time is approaching. Too late to remember that prevention is almost always better than cure.

So remember that winter is here. If it strikes, and you suffer losses, make sure you act swiftly and safely. But above, all be prepared, and do all you can to minimise your risk.

For further information on insuring farm buildings this winter please Tel. 01228 406290 or visit www.hhinsurance brokers.co.uk