Services

Water leaking into an archive may cause data and documents to be irretrievably lost: Even though the paper may seem robust enough to withstand water permeation, it will not be capable of resisting subsequent mould growth. This means that large amounts of valuable records can be destroyed if not by water action alone, then in the aftermath of water inundation.

We at Rhenus are well aware that every minute counts when water unleashes its destructive fury. Therefore, our experts will rush to your side in an emergency, determined to minimise the damage and working to make affected files available to you again within the shortest possible timeframe. Our state-of-the-art facilities utilise innovative, yet proven, methods such as freeze-drying and X-ray irradiation to effectively remove moisture and eradicate any harmful microorganisms that may have thrived due water leaking into the archive.

Rhenus has an exemplary track record of protecting companies and other organisations from the nightmare of file and data loss; over the years, we have acquired a combined wealth of expertise and experience that helps us be prepared for any event and any eventuality, including the challenges associated with major damage situations.

For example, when a German bank approached us with the urgent request to protect archived documents from the destructive effects of flooding disaster, we were immediately able to assist them, rescuing an amount of as much as 20 tons of paper-filled folders. Our range of services in this case covered the removal of documents from the affected rooms, some of which were still flooded by water, their treatment by document drying and, finally, the return of the restored records to their original place of preservation and storage.

In every phase of our process, we always think a few steps ahead, always acting in strict compliance with both the relevant data protection legislation and in accordance with your individual privacy and confidentiality needs. Thanks to our security transport services, your confidential documents will be reliably protected from unauthorised access throughout the entire chain of custody, i.e. all subsequent handling processes will also be conducted with due regard to security under all conditions in our well-protected facilities.

In a nutshell: If disaster strikes, Rhenus is ready to respond. Rhenus provides the whole range of services required to save documents – highly professional services of top-notch quality and from one single source.

Rhenus document salvage services aim to help clients preserve the invaluable data and records of their organisation, thus enabling them to adhere to statutory record retention periods even in the most adverse circumstances. Successful document recovery will allow you, too, to always be on the safe side! By applying freeze-drying, X-ray irradiation and effective document cleaning procedures, Rhenus will protect your material from further damage whilst also safeguarding the health of your staff.

Whatever the challenge, Rhenus will respond quickly:

• When a call for help reaches us, we will act immediately and rush to the site threatened by flooding with all necessary equipment.
• After collecting the documents in question, we will transport them to one of our protected facilities, where we will proceed as per your instructions:
  • Documents discarded by you will be sorted out and destroyed in compliance with the relevant data protection regulations, whereas
  • Documents to be preserved will be subjected to a gentle freeze-drying process in a specially secured building.
• If we cannot immediately attend to the inundated documents, the material will first be flash-frozen to prevent it from disintegration.
• If required, we will then subject the material to high-power X-ray radiation capable of completely permeating the material and reliably killing germs and mould spores.
• Following this irradiation treatment and thorough manual cleaning, the material will be subjected to microbiological inspection.
• Finally, we will store the material in a security archive until your own premises are available again. The return transport of the documents will again take place in accordance with a stringent set of security standards.

Rhenus clients particularly appreciate this reliable ‘closed loop’ approach that will ensure the safety and security of their sensitive documents at all times.