What To Do Before Help Arrives After A Biohazard Event

8/16/2024 (Permalink)

Exposure to biological or chemical substances can lead to severe health issues.  SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford stresses the importance of prompt and expert handling by a professional in order to help prevent these health risks.  Before help arrives, there are several steps you can take to help eliminate the threat.

Ensure Safety: Avoid contact with the affected areas as they may contain harmful bacteria and pathogens.  Wear protective gear such as gloves, boots, and a mask before entering the affected area.  Seal off the contaminated areas from the rest of the property to help prevent exposure.

Take Precautions: Treat all bodily fluids as if they are contaminated.  Refrain from leaving items on wet or contaminated surfaces.

Prevent Further Risks: After sewage damage, turn off the HVAC system to help prevent further spread.  If the ceiling is wet from sewage or floodwater, do not operate ceiling fans.  Avoid entering rooms where the ceiling is showing signs of sagging.

Turn off utilities: After sewage damage, shut off electricity and gas to prevent any potential hazards.  Avoid using electrical appliances in the affected area.

Contact professionals: In the event of a life-threatening situation, contact local authorities immediately.

By following these steps and seeking help when needed, you can effectively address a biohazard event and restore your property to a safe and healthy condition.  SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford’s team of professionals are extensively trained in biohazard cleanup procedures in accordance with IICRC, OSHA and EPA guidelines.  We handle biohazard incidents including trauma and crime scene cleanup, hoarding cleaning and packout, sewage cleanup, vandalism/graffiti removal and the cleanup of blood-borne pathogens.  Our hospital-grade cleaning and disinfecting solutions in addition to our strict policy guidelines for cleanup and disposal allow us to assist our local community with these hazardous situations!

SERVPRO Can Handle the Gross Stuff!

2/22/2023 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford often handles biohazard situations for our clients due to issues such as the following:

• Sewage backups
• Hoarding situations
• Rodent feces
• Insect infestations
• Crime scene cleanups
• Vandalism/Graffiti Removal

During one of these unique circumstances, our crew members carefully and thoroughly clean, disinfect and restore all of the areas affected by the unfortunate event.  This photo shows the aftermath of a rental home in Kennett Square after sewage had made its way into the basement of the property.  This process involves decontamination of all surfaces, debris removal, and water extraction for Category 3 water which can be potentially full of hazardous fungi or bacteria.  Once this is complete, our biohazard professionals apply an environmentally friendly anti-fungal and anti-microbial cleaning agent to all areas in order to fully remove any signs of harmful bacteria.

During hoarding situations, we also perform similar cleaning procedures.  These often involve removing all content from a property before the decontamination process can even begin.  SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford is happy to utilize our local business partners such as exterminator and dumpster companies to help us complete these biohazard projects efficiently.

Commercial Sewage Cleanup in Coatesville

7/19/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford recently assisted with overwhelming sewage damage at a local non-profit in Coatesville.  Heavy rainfall and flooding had created a sewage backup, causing four inches of contaminated water to make its way into the basement of the building.

Our biohazard team completed mitigation services for the affected areas as well as performed the proper drying and cleaning procedures needed to help ensure a healthy working environment for this facility.

While we do offer content cleaning and restoration services, some of the content was too severely damaged by the sewage to be recovered.  We disposed of this content and offered the services of a partner of ours for electronic restoration services for all digital equipment affected.

In addition to complete sewage restoration services, we will also be completing an Emergency READY Profile (ERP) for this Coatesville facility. This is a digital file where all emergency information is stored and accessible in the event of another emergency.  This file is a helpful tool in emergency preparation for your commercial building, and SERVPRO of Kennett Square/Oxford is proud to offer this to all local businesses for free!