Your Commercial Building had a Sewage Back Up… Now What?

9/4/2019 (Permalink)

The goal is to return your property to sanitary conditions quickly and efficiently when mitigating sewage contaminated environments.

Removing sewage and restoring your building back to a level of acceptable cleanliness is more difficult than it sounds.  Mop it up and throw some bleach at it, right?  If only it were that easy.  In order to achieve a healthy and safe environment for your employees, tenants and customers, a three-step cleaning process in conjunction with appropriate drying procedure is critical.  Professional mitigation companies such as SERVPRO of Northern Summit County follow a strict protocol based on the IICRC S500 Standard Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration. 

The goal is to return your property to sanitary conditions quickly and efficiently when remediating fecally-contaminated environments.  Contaminants can be spread by tracking and aerosolization so proper containment and PPE should be utilized.  Due to this fact, decontamination is performed first before drying fans are placed.  This involves rough cleaning, initial sanitizing and demolition.  Porous materials are removed and discarded at this stage and if the sewage has penetrated below non-porous flooring, it has to be removed as well.  Detailed cleaning follows which involves not only using appropriate disinfecting but also the use of hot water which penetrates irregular surfaces and semi-porous material.  Multiple rounds of cleaning may be required.  During the cleaning stage dehumidification should be used to help prevent mold growth and once the building is sanitized properly, fans are placed to dry the environment. 

All steps outlined above are critical for returning your building back to a healthy and safe place for your employees, tenants and customers.  If you have questions about this process or need assistance with a sewage clean-up, SERVPRO of Northern Summit County is at your service 24/7 by calling 800-648-1212.