1.1 WATER DAMAGE LIMITATION Flashcards
Triage assessment - what 3 things to consider?
- Items requiring urgent attention to prevent secondary damage
- Items beyond BER
- Items not at risk of further damage.
Water trapped behind panelling or boarding? How can this be considered?
- Investigate areas where you think water could be trapped behind panelling or pipe boxing
Water trapped in floor insulation? How can this be considered?
- How is floor constructed?
- Is there insulation? Could it be trapped there?
Carpet grippers? How can this be considered?
- Water may be trapped here
- Need thorough moisture meter reading
Classification of water damage - Clean water?
- Directly from plumbing or appliances
Classification of water damage - Grey water?
- Some level of contamination may be present
- EG EOW from washing machine, fish tank etc.
Classification of water damage - black water?
- Water may be contaminated w unknown material eg sewage or storm water
Classification of water damage - red water?
- External flood water, contaminated w known hazardous substance eg fuel oil or agricultural chemicals
- May need specialist contractor to deal with
Why is care required when cleaning black or red contaminated water?
- Prevent risk of infection
- prevent risk from other contamination whilst cleaning is carried out
In aged incidents, clear or grey water may transform to black water, why?
Microbial growth
Do you need investigations when dealing with vertical leaks and why?
- Yes
- It can travel in routes not expected
- Need to investigate to ensure affected areas are located
Why is determining the age of incidents important?
- PB could be wet & mould growth could have occurred on the other side
- Bacteria can reproduce very quickly
What actions might you take after your RA for damage limitation? BUILDINGS(3)
- Ensure electrical supply is safe, esp w vertical leaks
- Release water in PB ceilings, puncturing small 10mm holes to release water
- Extract or pump water from property
What actions might you take after your RA for damage limitation? CONTENTS (7)
- Place furniture on blocks that are at risk of absorbing moisture from flooring
- Open doors & drawers of furniture to assist drying
- Remove contents of secondary damage to dry environment
- Remove saturated items
- Control humidity
- Docs/photos - polythene and freeze
- Remove damp items from wood surfaces to prevent staining
Water vapour moves through air in property and will move into unaffected rooms, what should you try and avoid for other unaffected rooms?
- Being cold and unventilated to prevent mould growth
Once bulk of contamination has been removed, cleaning can start. What should be done? (4)
- Flush surface w clean water and vacuum extract.
- Apply alkaline detergent w further rinsing
- Multiple applications of detergent & rinsing
- QA results required to ensure done successfully
Detergents can be effective if allowed what?
Time to do their job = dwell time.
Why might a COSHH assessment be required? (2)
- Company policy
- Products are compatible w usage of the property
How to control & reduce high humidity?
1.Ventilation to outside
2. Dehumidifiers
3. Heating and warmed low RH air
Why should we be careful to use blowers w/o adequate humidity control, especially in the first hours/days
Can increase amount of airborne water causing secondary damage
Lath & plaster ceilings, whats the risk? (2)
- Can absorb large amounts of water
- Can collapse due to this
When does a water supply need to be isolated?
If damaged or if leaks haven’t been fixed
Removal of skirtings & doorframes may be required, what should we ensure?
That we can’t decontaminate with jet washing instead
What should we consider when removing wall render and plaster? (3)
- Don’t take lightly
- Increased costs of scope
- Uninhabitable property - AA costs!
