Triage means sorting, not deciding everything at once
Facility and operations teams often feel pressure to discard wet goods quickly so the floor can be cleared. The opposite instinct, hoarding everything, creates its own problems. A middle path is to sort stock into three working groups and defer the difficult calls until the area is safe and records exist.
The groups are simple. Keep: items clearly unaffected. Hold: items that might be salvageable or that need someone else's input, such as an insurer, a supplier or a regulator. Discard candidates: items clearly ruined or unsafe. The point is that nothing leaves the building before it has been photographed and counted.
It also helps to decide who has authority before the sorting begins. One person, usually in operations or inventory control, should own the log and the zone markers so that counts stay consistent across shifts. Others can move product, but only one set of records should be treated as the source of truth. Mixed or duplicated lists are a frequent cause of arguments with insurers and suppliers later, because two counts of the same pallet rarely agree. Keeping the system simple, with paper labels if needed, tends to work better than building something elaborate in the middle of an event.
A working sequence
Make the zone safe
No sorting happens until water, electrical and structural concerns have been addressed.
Photograph in place
Capture the stock as found, showing water lines, labels and pallet positions.
Separate into three areas
Mark keep, hold and discard-candidate zones on the dry side of the building.
Count and log
Record SKU, quantity, condition and location in a loss log.
Pause discards
Check with the insurer before disposal when value is significant.
How the first days may look
- Hours 0 to a few
- Safety, source control, photographs, lifting stock off the floor.
- Same or next day
- Triage into groups; insurer is notified; hold area is established.
- Following days
- Supplier and manufacturer input; decisions on repack, return, sale or disposal.
- After drying
- Final counts reconciled with the loss log and shipping records.
Information worth capturing for every group
Common questions
Should everything touched by water be thrown away?
Not automatically. Some goods can be dried, repackaged or returned, while others cannot be safely kept. The condition and type of water both matter.
Why keep a hold area?
It prevents quick, irreversible decisions while insurers and suppliers weigh in.
General information for Commerce City, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.