National Flood Risk Assessment Updated

The Environment Agency recently published updated assessments of the national flood and coastal erosion risks in England. With improvements in data modelling and technology, these represent a significant update from the previous assessments produced in 2018 and 2017, respectively.

 

The new assessments show that 3,500 properties are expected to be in areas at risk of coastal erosion in the period up to 2055, and a total of 6.3 million properties in England are in areas at risk of flooding.

 

Around 4.6 million of those properties are in areas at risk of surface water flash flooding, which is flooding where there is so much rainwater that drainage systems are overwhelmed. This is a 43% increase on the Environment Agency’s previous assessment.

 

Also, around 2.4 million properties are in areas at risk of flooding from rivers and the sea. While the total number of properties at risk has not increased, there is an 88% increase in the number of properties identified as being at the highest levels of risk, where an area has a greater than one in 30 chance of flooding in any given year.

 

If your workplace is affected by flooding, it is important that any recovery and clean-up work is carried out safely. Where flood water is still present, for example, in areas where it has formed pools, there may be a risk of contamination from sewage, chemicals, animal waste, or other substances.

 

You should avoid direct contact with flood water where possible, and if you have to enter flood water, always wear suitable protective clothing such as waterproof gloves and rubber boots. You should also be aware that alongside contamination there may also be unseen hazards such as raised manhole covers and hidden sharp objects.

 

You should also avoid touching sources of electricity if you are standing in water due to the risk of shock. It may be necessary to get an engineer to check gas or electrical equipment if you think it has been damaged by flooding.

 

Protective clothing should also be worn during the clean-up to prevent contact with hazardous cleaning chemicals and splashes of contaminated water. Where pressure washing equipment is being used, then a suitable face mask may be required. Good personal hygiene standards should be maintained; in particular, you should keep any open cuts and sores clean and protected, e.g., by using waterproof plasters, and always wash your hands after contact with floodwater or after cleaning up.

 

Where hazardous chemicals are present on site, you should take suitable precautions when handling these in case the containers have been damaged and substances have leaked; extra care may be required in confined spaces if chemicals have leaked and fumes may build up.

 

Finally, you will need to take the correct precautions with any equipment used for cleaning up flood damage or for drying out property; for example, petrol or diesel-powered generators or portable heaters should only be used in well-ventilated areas to avoid the buildup of hazardous fumes, and refuelling should be carried out away from sources of ignition.

 

The current national assessment of flood and coastal erosion risk in England can be found on the Gov.UK website.

 

Environmental protection is a devolved matter with separate bodies to enforce legislation in different parts of the UK. Flood risk information can be found at:

• England
• Northern Ireland
• Scotland
• Wales

If you have any questions or would like support with managing issues at your workplace, please speak to your usual contact or get in touch using the form below.