The Importance of Water Damage Restoration Services for the Healthcare Industry

3/7/2022 (Permalink)

Blog Summary: SERVPRO of Waxahachie/Midlothian offers water removal and property damage restoration when healthcare facilities suffer a water damage disaster.

SERVPRO of Waxahachie/Midlothian understands the stress, anxiety, and frustration that administrators, doctors, nurses, and support staff experience when water damage necessitates water removal in a specialized commercial setting such as a hospital, nursing home, or other healthcare facilities. Storm damage to the roof can allow massive amounts of water to leak into the facility disrupting patient care, interrupting surgical procedures, and endangering the lives of staff and patients. With the passing of each minute, the scope and complexity of the disaster escalate to include more than bulk water removal and dehumidification.

Steps for Re-Opening a Healthcare Facility after a Water Damage Disaster

In a crisis or large-scale natural disaster, residents of the Midlothian, TX, community look to the local hospitals for emergency services, healthcare, and shelter. Sometimes severe weather, flooding, or other disasters interrupt the facility’s ability to provide services. This disaster may disrupt the provision of services for days or weeks. The initial removal of bulk water may not resolve all issues related to the water damage. Hospitals and other healthcare facilities may still need to address mold or mildew caused by leaks or flooding. These steps will help facility managers work through the challenges of reopening a healthcare facility following a major water damage incident.

Step #1: Determine if the structure can be safely occupied.

Severe weather such as a tornado, violent thunderstorm, or the remnants of a hurricane can undermine the structural integrity of the facility. The building must be evaluated for risk hazards prior to re-entry, and the assessment will seek to determine whether the structure is safe for occupancy.

Step #2: Initiate cleanup and restoration.

This step begins with the removal of bulk water, dehumidification, and applied structural drying. The immediate removal of any standing water will avoid secondary damage. Once areas are safe for traffic, technicians can clean, disinfect, and deodorize water-damaged items, floors, walls, and equipment. Repairs can begin. Potential contamination issues from mold, mildew, sewage backups, medical wastes, and chemical spills must also be identified and remediated.

Step #3: Return to normal operations.

The resumption of normal operations requires that the facility receive a final, thorough cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting to create a safe environment for staff and patients. Supplies must be restocked, and damaged or destroyed equipment must be repaired or replaced.

Step #4: Review and revise plans to be more fully prepared for the next potential disaster.

A property damage disaster is traumatic for everyone involved. A disaster in a hospital or healthcare facility highlights several needs:

1. The need to have a customized Disaster Ready Plan that includes regular training and drills.
2. The need to pre-qualify a property damage cleanup and restoration company.

The team of professionals must be competent to safely handle a disaster scene that involves a complex matrix of hazards, including contaminated water, medical wastes, chemical spills, and other biohazards. This company must be able to scale without delay to meet the full scope of the damage disaster.  Emergency board-up and tarping, secure offsite storage facilities, electronics restoration, and document restoration must be components of the property damage restoration solution.

3. The need to learn from the experience.

In the stressful chaos of a natural disaster, mistakes, missteps, and mishaps are inevitable. These flaws may not necessarily result from human error but may be the result of incredible human efforts to save lives, salvage precious medical supplies, or prevent vital life-saving equipment from being damaged or destroyed. Much can be lost when a flood, tornado, fire, or other disaster strikes a hospital or healthcare facility, but much can be learned that improves the next response.

SERVPRO of Waxahachie/Midlothian is dedicated to providing property damage restoration services to homeowners, businesses, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities. The highly trained, certified, and experienced technicians are available and ready to roll 24/7, 365 days a year, including holidays. SERVPRO can scale to meet the challenges of any size or type of disaster. The latest equipment, advanced technology, and industry-standard cleaning techniques and products give SERVPRO technicians a decided advantage when working in the challenging environment of a hospital or healthcare facility hit by a property damage disaster.

For more information about water damage cleanup, contact SERVPRO of Waxahachie/Midlothian by phone at (972) 935-0827 or by email at acarey@SERVPRO10932.com