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Going Back In and Being Safe:
Health and Safety Risks of Entering Flooded Buildings
A
building that has been damaged by rising floodwater is likely to be
a dangerous place. You will be taking some risks when you go into
a flooded building to salvage your belongings, to clean or just to
look. This is a description of what some of those safety and health
risks are, and a guide for reducing your risk. This information will
help you decide whether or not you should enter a flooded building.
If
you are going to enter a flooded building, particularly for cleaning,
use this protective equipment: rubber or hard-soled boots, rubber
gloves, a N-95 disposable dust mask, and a hard hat and safety glasses
for overhead work.
Safety
Hazards
The
greatest threat you are likely to face in a flooded home is injury.
Among other hazards, there may be electrical hazards, structural
hazards, hazardous materials, and risk of injury to
your hands, back, knees or shoulders. Children should not be allowed
in homes that are being inspected or repaired.
Electrical
If
water has come in contact with electrical circuits, and especially
if the water rose above the electrical outlets, turn off power
at the main breaker or fuse on the service panel. Do not turn power
back on until electrical equipment has been repaired and inspected
by a qualified electrician. Check with your county building inspector.
Do
not enter flooded areas or wet buildings if the power is on.
Structural
Never
assume that water-damaged structures are safe. You can not be sure
that a building is stable until an engineer or building inspector
has inspected it. Leave immediately if shifting or unusual noises
signal a possible collapse of the building.
Household
Hazardous Materials
Damaged
building materials may contain asbestos
and lead-based paint. Before disturing damaged suspect material,
precautions should be taken to prevent exposure.
Floodwaters
can cause containers of hazardous materials such as pesticides, fuel
or gasoline to spill indoors. If there is a noticeable chemical odor
and/or a spilled container indoors, contact your local health department
or fire department for help. Avoid
skin contact with contaminated materials or contaminated water and
keep the area well ventilated or, even better, play it safe and leave.
Injury
Be
careful when handling or lifting heavy loads like furniture or carpet.
To avoid back injury, try not to lift loads of more than 50 pounds
per person. Wear rubber boots or hard-soled boots, preferably
with steel toes, when working and lifting.
If
a building has been flooded to the ceiling or if you are doing work
that is higher than your shoulders, you should wear a hard hat
and safety glasses or goggles.
Fatigue
You
are most likely to be injured when you are tired and not paying to
attention to common-sense safety issues. Take the breaks you need,
and never drink alcohol when you are working in a flooded building.
You
can get more information about safety issues in the NIOSH Update:
"NIOSH Warns of Hazards of Flood Cleanup Work". You
can get the document from your local health department or from the
internet at www.cdc.gov/niosh/flood.html.
Health
Risks
You
may come in contact with biological hazards that could cause illness
if you are exposed by breathing or swallowing the contaminants. Some
contaminants like bacteria or viruses may be left indoors by
floodwater, while fungi or mold may grow indoors after the
water has left.
Bacteria
and Viruses
Some
of these microscopic organisms, particularly those from sewage, will
be in floodwater and mud or sediment left by floodwater. If you accidentally
swallow sediment or flood water that is contaminated, you might develop
gastrointestinal (digestive tract) illness. Because there is so much
water involved in flooding, the concentration of organisms will be
diluted, and the risk of disease is small. You can nearly eliminate
that risk by wearing rubber gloves while working, not eating
or smoking in the house, and by frequent hand washing. This
risk is similar indoors and outdoors.
If
you get a cut or a puncture wound that is exposed to flood water,
there is some risk of tetanus and you should be vaccinated
if you haven’t had a tetanus vaccination or "booster" in
the past 5 years. You should get the tetanus vaccine every 10 years
whether there is a disaster or not. No other vaccinations are
recommended because of flooding.
Fungi
(Mold and Mildew)
Many
building materials, furniture and other items that stay wet for more
than a few days will grow moldy. Mold colonies are the fuzzy or patchy
white, green, brown or black growths that you will see on wallboard,
wood furniture and cabinets, clothing, wall studs, and almost any
other surface.
Mold
releases tiny spores and other cells into the air that can cause allergic
illness like hay fever (coughing, sneezing, irritated eyes), asthma
symptoms, or other respiratory illness that can be serious. Some molds
may also produce toxins that could cause numbers of other illnesses.
We are exposed to mold every day, indoors and out, but mold contamination
can be quite severe in a flooded building. The risk is greatest for
people with allergies, asthma, and the very old or very young.
Exposure
to mold will be greatest when you move or disturb materials that are
moldy. Wet the mold with a soapy solution from a sprayer before
you move it to reduce the release of spores. Do this even if the material
is wet because the mold probably won’t be wet. Remember that mold
can still make you sick even after you have sprayed disinfectants
to kill it.
If
you enter a flooded building, wear a dust mask or respirator
to reduce your exposure to mold. Look for a mask with "NIOSH"
approval and an N-95 rating. Both of these marks should be
on the respirator and the container. Look for the masks at your hardware
or home supply store if they are not available from your local health
department.
Remember
that the masks are disposable and should be thrown away at
the end of the day. Read and follow the instructions on the mask package.
For
more information about flood clean up and cleaning mold ask your health
department or a Red Cross volunteer for a copy of the Red Cross/FEMA
Document: "Repairing Your Flooded Home" (www.fema.gov/library/lib08.htm). (webmaster note: this document is no longer available, 2008)
The
most important thing you can do to protect yourself is to use common
sense and be aware of safety and health risks, and do not enter a
building that is clearly unsafe. If you have questions or need assistance
ask your local health department.
Division
of Public Health
Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology Branch
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
(919) 733-3410
October 6, 1999
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