LEARN THE HEALTH AND SAFETY PRACTICES IN THE WATER DAMAGE RESTORATION PROCESS

#waterdamagerestoration, #healthprecautions

1 out of 70 homes is damaged because of water every year around the world. Common causes of water damage are a flood, a storm, a dripping pipe, or a broken roof and you have to be very careful during the restoration process as water damage can cause huge health hazards. You need to understand the severity of the damage before you ever go near standing water as still water often has the presence of mold, sewage, and trash. Your own health and safety should be your number one priority while dealing with such situations.

Categories of water damage

Water damage can be caused by different reasons. Sometimes it can be because of rain, or sometimes of a broken pipe and both are going to have terrible hazards of standing water. Water damages can be differentiated according to the cleanliness of the water as category 1, category 2, and category 3

Category 1- Clean water

In this category, water is relatively clean as it will be free from trash and other particles. Therefore it causes the least severe water damage and will be hazard-free to a great extent. There won’t be any serious side effects caused by these water because they are toxin-free and these waters can be dried up easily.

Category 2- Grey Water

These are the waters that require disinfection of affected time but will be safe if we come in contact with them. However prolonged use is not advised with greywater. This category of water is most common with washing machines, toilets, and sump tanks.

Category 3- Black Water

Blackwater is highly toxic and is the most dangerous form of water damage. It can occur during floods and sewage water. There is no other way other than seeking help from professional cleaning services as your home should be completely disinfected after being affected with category 3 water damage. Everything that comes in contact with black water should be removed from your house as it can cause dangerous health problems to you and your family.

Safety practices during water damage restoration

Water damage hazard is always associated with electricity as water is a high conductor of electricity. Either it is a home or an office or even on roads if water flooding occurs or pipe or sealing leakage occurs it's definite that you are prone to electric shocks. So to be careful always switch off the main connections to your home whenever a flood or any kind of water damage occurs.

Another side effect of water damage is mold which is also the worst one too. Because of mold, it takes a lot of time to dry up the area and as it takes a longer time to dry up the damage is also high. Mold can grow within 24 hours in the right conditions which cause huge problems later which can be even dangerous to your health. Do not treat mold yourself, always seek expert help.

The best and effective safety measure to be taken in such a situation is always to believe in the authorities. Inform the concerned authorities like fire department/police and professional restoration agencies for flood extraction as they know the severity and precautions to be taken in such situations.

They will make sure your home is safe for you to live in after restoration and guide you for it too.