Hospitality Legal, Safety, and Security Solutions for Hurricane Ike

Special Hurricane Ike Legal, Safety, and Security Solutions Newsletter
For those impacted by Hurricane Ike, what you need to know about mold, HR issues, and more:

Russell Carlin, Forensic Analytical
Office: 1-877-410-1888
Cell: 503-701-4166

Hurricane Ike has inflicted more damage in inland property locations than was previously anticipated. As power is restored and initial building inspections are completed, it is important to look for water intrusion and potential mold growth. If any building materials are still wet from the storm, it is critical to get the interior spaces of the buildings dried out as quickly as possible. This process will involve the use of fans and perhaps de-humidifiers. Please do not introduce heat into the drying process as that may accelerate mold growth.

If mold or heavy musty smells are identified, please try to isolate the impacted areas. Enough time has now elapsed from the hurricane that mold growth may be evident.

It is important to locate and dry all wet materials and to remediate any mold where present. To ensure that the project is handled in a professional and defensible manner, it is recommended that any property hire the services of a Texas Licensed Environmental Consultant (Identification and Protocols) and a Texas State Licensed remediation company (removal). Please note that time is of the essence and prompt reactions to water intrusion and mold will help to reduce future financial impacts.

If you have any questions or require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Forensic Analytical Consulting Services Inc. Forensic Analytical has extensive experience in the Hospitality Industry and has local contacts to help ensure that your projects are handled in an efficient and cost effective manner.

Jay Krupin, Shareholder with Epstein Becker
Phone: 202-861-5333

This article outlines relevant Texas and federal state laws, as well as guidelines that can be used by employers in navigating through the legal and business implications created by events such as Hurricane Ike. In addition, the information contained below may be applicable to other disasters, such as fires, earthquakes and workplace violence.

Click here for more information on FLSA, FMLA, ADA, USERRA, WARN Act, Employee Benefits Issues, IRCA, NLRA, and OSHA. Also included are Suggested Guidelines and Recommended Policies.

Are you a member of your local hotel and lodging association? Here's another reason to join:

Scott Joslove, President and CEO of the Texas Hotel & Lodging Association, put together the following FAQ for his members. Included are answers to common questions for lodging operators, including overbooking, FEMA, and price gouging concerns. Click here for the FAQs.

BDO Consulting has Insurance Claim Services professionals available to help businesses prepare business interruption and property damage claims who have been affected by natural and manmade events. We are available to help you prepare your insurance claim if you have been affected by Hurricane Ike and have incurred a significant loss of business income from business interruption, contingent business interruption, civil authority, power outages or have incurred necessary extra expenses during your perioed of restoration to mitigate your loss.

Click here for more information on how BDO can help you.

HospitalityLawyer.com
P.O. Box 22888
Houston, Texas 77227
HospitalityLawyer@HospitalityLawyer.com

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