2020 SOUTHWEST BUILDINGS & FACILITIES MANAGEMENT SHOW & CONFERENCE 5 Interstate Restoration Understanding the risks of water damage
Getting Back to Dry Once you discover moisture, you need to address it right away and keep safety in mind. That means sealing off affected areas and only working on cleanup when you either know that there are no health risks to employees, or you have taken the proper precautions for keeping the cleanup crew safe. Learn more about recovering from water damage in our free guide, A Quick Guide to Water Damage. Download it here: https://hubs.ly/H0mzDg30. Interstate Restoration, a sub- sidiary of FirstService Corp., is one of the largest independent NorthAmerican restoration and reconstruction service provid- ers for commercial enterprises throughout the United States and Canada.
Common events like broken pipes, area-wide flooding or rain incursion can introduce different types of water into your building. Understanding the different classifications and considerations for cleanup as- sociated with each category of water is important in preventing potential safety hazards. Category 1: Clean Water Clean water typically comes directly from a sanitary source, such as water pipes, steam lines or rainwater. For water to be considered category I, it should look and smell like tap water. Typically, there aren’t any health risks associated with Category I water, unless the water makes contact with contaminants, for example. But you still need to respond
treated cooling water, some surface water, water from fire suppression systems or even discharges from equipment. It’s best to proceed with cau- tion. Gray water can be slightly to severely contaminated with microbial growth or other tox- ins, and direct or indirect ex- posure could potentially cause health issues. Category 3: Black Water Sources for black water could include water from sew- ers, rivers or the sea; it typically smells bad and is often cloudy. Infectious viruses, bacteria, parasites, and toxic and aller- genic materials can all lurk in black water so it’s best to keep employees and customers well away and it’s likely that you will need to replace most materials that it contacts.
quickly when Category 1 water is involved as microbial growth can begin in as little as 24 – 48 hours. Category 2: Gray Water Gray water typically comes from backed-up storm drains,
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