Polygon Visit

A Visit From Polygon

For our October 16th class we took a break from destroying and salvaging materials and listened to an informative presentation from Summer Street about Polygon’s Document Recovery services. Polygon is a global provider of temporary humidity control and property performance services and is a market leader in property damage restoration. Polygon is a private lab focusing on commercial work in industries like health care facilities and hospitals, commercial and retail, libraries and museums, schools and universities, and government agencies.  For more information about Polygon visit http://www.polygongroup.com/us/document-recovery/

At this time, Polygon focuses on physical restoration of documents rather than digital restoration and recovery. In the presentation, Street talked about basic disaster risks, provided us with a past scenario in which a disaster occurred, and some of the document recovery methods that Polygon offers.

First, we talked about the most common disaster risks: fire, mold, and water. In Street’s disaster scenario, an unnamed New York firm’s three sub-basements had been flooded with seawater, fuel, sewage, and organic material during Hurricane Sandy. Over 30,000 boxes filled with highly sensitive materials were damaged. In the aftermath of the disaster:

Here is what they did correctly:

1. Called Polygon document restoration center as soon as possible
2. Authorized implementation of the stabilization of documents immediately
3. Allowed priority records to be packed out and frozen before they were able to incur further damage

 Here is what they could have done better:

1. There were no priority documents or sections designated before the disaster
2. There was no plan for disposing of damaged or unneeded documents

Street also provided us with a Document Checklist with a list of questions to consider in disaster planning or during recovery.

 Document Checklist

• Are there vital records?
• Is there a current retention schedule for documents?
• How long are records kept before they are discarded or destroyed?
• What are priority items?
• Is there a current disaster plan?
• How are records currently being stored?
• Is restoration the best option? What are the limitations? What are your options for a recovery strategy?
• Are documents wet? Moldy?
• Are there concerns for health and safety?
• What are the documents stored in?
• Are there security requirements?
• If there is a disaster can things be destroyed instead of restored?

Last we talked about technologies Polygon currently uses for document recovery. In the case of a disaster, all materials should be frozen immediately if possible to halt further damage. Try to freeze damaged items within the range of 20 to 25 F, but only refrigerate film-based media. When Polygon responds to a disaster, they first create a detailed inventory during pack-out. Subsequently, customers are given the choice between the following:

Vacuum Freeze Drying: Freezing and drying records in a vacuum chamber where frozen water is removed by sublimation, bypassing the liquid water phase.

Pros of vacuum freeze drying include:

• Allows batch processing
• No “wet” phase which reduces the risk of inks bleeding and paper cockling
• There is no heat so over-drying is not a problem
• Low cost and lower margins for human error

 Cons include:

• Vacuum freeze drying  can not be done on site because industrial freezers are required
• Longer processing time frame, could be months not weeks
• Equipment scarcity and limited accessibility

Desiccant Dehumidification: Using a dehumidifier that blows dry air throughout a room or area, allowing wet documents to dry

Pros of desiccant dehumidification include:

• Process is both portable and scalable
• Ability to provide on-site access to materials
• This process is good for business papers, X-Rays, and photos.

 Cons of desiccant dehumidification

• It is expensive.

Air Drying: Process of drying materials through contact with air

Pros of air drying include:

• Process is scalable and good for most materials
• Accessibility–on-site access is usually possible
• Over-drying not possible
• The relative humidity can be controlled

 Cons include:

• Higher mold potential without stabilization
• Not good for clay-coated papers
• Labor intensive and results dependent on skill of the laborer

The recovery method used will depend on a business’ salvage priorities, the type of document and the extent of the damage. Disasters are also classified by Polygon from Level One to Level Five with five being the most severe disaster recovery scenario. Polygon pricing is based on cubic ft., drying type requested, cleaning level requested, whether documents need to deodorized, disinfected, or gamma-irritated, and the overall labor and pack-out needed to process materials. Gamma radiation is used to sterilize dirty documents to where they are safe enough to handle. Gamma radiation leaves no residue or visible changes to processed documents and is simple, reliable, and low cost.

Overall, Street emphasized that early planning for a disaster, before a disaster does occur, is the best step you can take. Most simply, have a plan, be educated about potential recovery options, and keep a clean house and updated inventory of your items.