More than Just Water Damage

1/10/2022 (Permalink)

What threats does water damage inside of your home or business pose to you and others? You may not realize it at first, but more threats could be harmful to you than just contaminated water. 

• Electrical Hazards

• Mixing water and electricity creates a potential for disaster, and electrical hazards can lurk anywhere on a water-damaged job site.
• Floods may also cause water to intrude into the wiring system.
• Structural Hazards
• Particleboard floors in buildings that have been exposed to floodwaters or other high saturation water conditions may not support the weight of machinery or people.
• Drywall softens with exposure to water, and ceilings may fall onto workers or occupants.
• Hazardous and Regulated Materials 
• Hazardous chemicals, lead-based paint, and asbestos may be present in some water-damaged buildings.
• When materials are disturbed, it poses a serious health threat to yourself and others. 
• Confined Space Hazards
• Confined spaces usually offer limited or restricted means of entrance and exit and may present a dangerous atmosphere or other hazards.
• Sewage-contaminated crawl spaces could pose serious hazards such as sewer gas, infectious waste, spiders, electrical wiring, or gas lines, and other hazards.
• Biological Hazards
• Sewage contains hundreds of viruses that can be transmitted to humans.
• Bacteria found in sewage are extremely virulent and able to overcome our bodies’ defenses.
• Sewage may also contain parasites such as the tapeworm that lives in the human intestines. The helminth worm, one of the various parasites in sewage, can cause intestinal disease in humans.
• Water damages offer opportunities for molds to grow and multiply since moisture and humidity levels increase in a structure that has suffered water intrusion.