Are your files in danger?

Lessons learned from a recent pipe leak at a SC Agency:

Although the SC Archives advocates preventative measures and preparedness, some disasters are simply out of anyone’s control and require extra hands and guidance for recovery. Such is the case with the most recent incident we were called to help on. Even with good preservation efforts on the agency’s part, the inevitable happened and a pipe running above one of their storage rooms began to leak and flooded over 18 cubic feet of records. We managed to salvage all of the files, and they provided some good lessons about what havoc water can have on documents.

Do Preventative Maintenance - A daily walk through and check of your storage areas can go a long way in catching problems early. As we learned, the pipe that caused the recent damage had been leaking for a while; staff members said they smelled something but didn’t really think about it. If you see, smell or hear anything out of the ordinary, it is worth checking out.

Take Immediate Action - If you ever have a water problem either from leaking or flooding, contact the SCDAH staff as soon as possible. This time we were fortunate, but hours can make the difference for mold growth or between salvageable and complete destruction.

Use Care when Filing - Some of the files were bent and had creases and folds that made it difficult to separate the pages. Use diligence in making sure documents are neatly filed to eliminate these problems in the case of future damage.

Remove Paper clips and staples - They as well as the folder prongs had already begun to corrode and rust. Since the documents are bound into the folders using the prongs, you could remove staples and paperclips prior to storage to prevent most of the threat of rust. If prongs do not bind them in, assess the file for how many paper clips or stapes you really need and remove the excess.

Watch out for Potential Paper and Ink Problems:

• Highlighted passages - most did not survive the water. Documents highlighted in yellow or green did not stand up to the water and created fluorescent tide lines on the paper. However,  some blue highlighted pages faded but did not completely wash away.
• Colored Paper - colored card stock as well as some yellow legal paper did bleed to surrounding files. Of most concern is the card stock (light blue and red/pink). The good news is that colored paper was minimal in the damaged files, but perhaps in the future keep color paper to a minimum.
• Inks and Signatures - Unfortunately, most inks fade and are not water resistant. Documents in your files that are hand written or have signatures may not survive a leak. With the recent incident, some pages faded and some completely washed away. The only suggestion for ink permanence is that fountain pens tend to last and stick better than others but if you can, use a pigma-pen that is water resistant.
• Certified Mail Receipts - The red date stamps from the post office bled through several pages. When possible, photocopy the originals for the file and discard the colored ink original.

Implement your Disaster Plan Do you have a disaster or emergency plan? Older buildings are notorious for having issues that can damage records so making sure there are plans in place to handle the inevitable are fundamental for data recovery and salvage. Don't think you are home free in a newer building. Be prepared. For more information on disaster planning, check out our website and http://www.dplan.org/