Personal Protective Equipment | Water

9/19/2022 (Permalink)

Here at SERVPRO, we aim to keep our employees as safe as possible.  One of the ways that we go about this is by providing what we call PPE, or personal protective equipment.  This is equipment or clothing articles that our crew uses when dealing with certain hazardous materials or substances.  An example of a hazardous situation that would require PPE is a water loss.  

With water losses, there are three categories that we like to consider to determine how contaminated the water is. Category 1 is clean water that doesn't pose any threat to humans.  An example of this could be tap water straight from the sink.  Category 2, grey water, meant that the water contains some contaminants and could cause a human illness if ingested. This may come from broken toilets or sump pumps.  Finally, category 3 is called black water.  This water is highly contaminated and my include biohazardous materials such as urine or feces.  These categories are greatly considered when determining what PPE is necessary while performing the mitigation process. Here are a few examples of PPE that we use during a water loss and what justifies us wearing them.

• Gloves are a staple piece for our crew.  No matter the job or the category of the loss our team is always wearing a pair of gloves.
• Rubber boots are always worn when there is standing water in any room of the house.  Wet socks are uncomfortable enough as is.  Add some contaminants in there and you've got a recipe for disaster.
• Safety goggles are another staple piece in our PPE closet, and for obvious reasons.  Our crew is highly susceptible to getting things in their eyes while working.  Safety goggles will shield their eyes from water, insulation, drywall, and anything else that might be floating around.
• Safety suits are worn when the water loss is a category 3.  This category includes things such as sewage where there are a lot of dangerous contaminants and bacteria in the water that could be incredibly dangerous to our crew members.
• Respirator masks are also worn when the water is considered highly contaminated and dangerous.  Mold and other bacteria can easily form in this category and can be dangerous to inhale.

These are just a few examples of PPE that our crew wears when handling a water loss.  These items help keep our people safe so that we can create a safe environment for the homeowners as well.  

As always, if you have experienced a water loss in your home or business, give us a call!  You can contact us at 817-596-8715.