Picture a water pipe burst and a flood of water rushes into a hospital emergency room
. People spring into action and crews work overtime to dry the area. The hospital resumes life critical operations in the affected area, but after surgeries the patients become very ill. The operations were a success, but the working environment was not sanitary and left the patients with bacteria.
The hospital missed a critical step and the patients faced unnecessary illness due to the oversight. It is not enough to simply remove the water from the area. The area must then be tested by a Certified Industrial Hygienist to ensure the environment is sterile. Water can leave a lasting affect by soaking into dry wall, insulation, floors, and equipment. Most of the soaked materials will need to be replaced to remove mold that started to grow in the moist environment. The mold then continues to feed and release spores into the air which travel throughout the hospital.
The Certified Industrial Hygienist will test for mold and other contaminants prior to declaring the area sanitary for surgeries to resume. All affected surfaces should be tested. Contaminated material should be quickly removed and replaced. An indoor air quality test will be the final step to ensure the area is safe to resume daily operations of patients. A report will be compiled to document each phase, test, and replaced item to ensure a comprehensive review of the area.
A hospital can quickly recover from a flood and resume the needed lifesaving procedures if the right people have been called in to ensure the area is safe. Click here to get a Certified Industrial Hygienist to be on standby when a flood rushes into the hospital and transforms into a breeding ground for mold. The patients are entitled to have every precaution take to ensure a safe and sanitary area for operations and recovery. Hospitals are focused on healing and ensuring a Flood and Disaster Plan is in place with the right team of people is critical to recover from a flood.
The right team of people includes a Certified Industrial Hygienist to oversee the work being performed. A Remediation Company can handle the manual labor portion of tearing out the affected areas and then rebuilding. It is critical to have these roles picked out prior to the disaster to prevent unnecessary delays that could prolong the amount of time water remains in the area and increases the damages.