Fire Damage In Gaithersburg

1/12/2020 (Permalink)

Call (301) 963-8474 for a professional evaluation and implementation of industry best practices.

Health And Safety Considerations During The Fire Damage Restoration Process In Gaithersburg

When homeowners try to cope with the mess left after a fire, assessment of safety hazards presented might appear to hinder proceeding directly to cleanup. Our crews must take the time to evaluate and address health and safety concerns before starting emergency services and restoration work. Customers need to understand the purpose of moving this phase to the top of the agenda.

Common Hazards
The fire damage your Gaithersburg home suffered and efforts taken to knock down the fire can expose occupants and restoration technicians to a broad array of hazards. As we assess your home, we are always mindful that every fire damage project is unique. Electrical and other utility line configurations, types of building materials damaged, categories of water and chemicals used to fight the fire, and the discovery of hazardous substances previously present or created by heat and combustion vary from structure to structure. Safety risks we encounter include but are not limited to:
    •    Overhead and underfoot hazards -- partially burned ceilings and floors that threaten collapse
    •    Contaminated fire fighting water
    •    Slip, trip, and fall hazards -- wet floors and debris, some submerged
    •    Electrical shock hazards
    •    Poor lighting and unknown parameters of confined spaces
    •    Severe deterioration of air quality -- the release of airborne particulates known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) because of heat or combustion
    •    Occupant or bystander safety --  during work activities or any time if the structure remains unsecured

Safety Risk Controls
SERVPRO crews respond by the implementation of controls to prevent workers and inhabitants from suffering injury. Types of controls we put in place include:

Elimination/Substitution -- avoiding the hazard or using safer means.

Example: Shut off the power until water removal and drying completes.

Engineering -- adapting the work environment to eliminate or reduce hazard exposure.

Example: temporary bracing of floors, walls, and ceilings or sealing off building materials that contain lead or asbestos during mitigation and remediation.

Administrative -- training technicians in safety strategies and  scheduling tasks so to limit exposure during task completion.

Example: partitioning and sealing off the affected space while using air scrubbing technology to limit the effects of off-gassing VOCs before SERVPRO crews enter.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Example: outfitting our technicians with barrier-type work clothing and respirators for working in spaces where airborne or contact hazards are present.

Trust that the time taken by SERVPRO of Gaithersburg / Germantown to assess and plan for fire damage restoration task hazards improves both the safety and outcome of your project. Call (301) 963-8474 for a professional evaluation and implementation of industry best practices.

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