First 3 Major Safety Steps You Must Take When You Have A Commercial , Retail and Restaurant Water Damage ( Hint : It's Not Extracting Water )

When you saw the headline you probably assumed I was referring to the extracting of water on the carpet / floor , bringing in air blowers ( air movers ) and, dehumidifiers . Yes, those are definitely important processes . But, more important is what you the owner owner or risk manager should do while the professionals are doing the important steps .

First 3 Major Steps You Must Take 

1. Safety Prevention Steps: Preventing safety risks is not only important on a human level , but preventing safety risks is your obligation to prevent law suits and workman compensation issues . Yes, preventing risks on a water damage and or mold damage remediation is the contractors issue. When a claim or law suit becomes apparent, you as the owner/ risk manager will listed as a responsible party in most cases.

I have taken the time to list many of the risks you will face below :

A. Wet Tiles - Tile ( to be exact VCT tile ) has a built in slip resistance, but when wet you might as well be walking on ice. Even when the floor has been mopped dry , the consistent traction of wet shoes recreates the slippery conditions that can create falls and slips . 

Solution - Have additional drying processes to maintain a safe dry floor.

B. Loose wires - Any restoration contractor will be using many pieces of drying equipment . With drying equipment you have many power cords running through your location . These cords are easy trip hazards especially when your employees maybe are moving items.

Solution : Have the cords taped down as suggested by OSHA

C. Wet Ceilings and ceiling drywall - As you can imagine water damage can from the tenants above your space just as easy as your own space. Ceiling tiles and wet drywall ceilings become less sturdy when wet . Head injuries and body injuries are a great possibility

Solution - Perform an inspection with your restoration company to determine the possibility of wet ceilings from becoming a safety hazard . Have these wet areas removed first and then reinspect within 2 hours. Don't assume .

As you can imagine there are more safety issues that are a result of water damage, mold remediation, and a fire damage situation . For more information on safety issues and solutions please call Jeffrey Cohn at SI Restoration 800-356-0484 or 410-458-5371 . Please also visit our web site at www.si-restoration.com