January 2022 - Your Option

Bomb Restoration

January 19, 2022/0 Comments/in Clean Extreme Option /by LWDadmin

When an bomb explosion in France killed over 11 people and injured more than 42, authorities soon uncovered that the cause was nearly 12000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that had been improperly stored for years. The disaster made it clear that a massive clean-up effort was needed, and French officials approached specialist UK companies to begin the job.

An Environmental Protection Consultancy partnered with a heavy lift transportation company to inspect several containers of concern that had been stored at the site for years. Before the hazardous receptacles could be despatched, external companies had to carefully examine them to make a full inventory of their contents. If these containers had caught fire, another disaster could have occurred.

In the containers, significant amounts of highly concentrated hydrochloric acid, and other corrosive materials such as sulfuric acid, formic acid, sodium hydroxide and hydrofluoric acid were found. Furthermore, acetone and empty cans of methyl bromide were also uncovered. As concentrated acids were involved, most of this work had to be carried in full hazmat suits.

‘’What was your thought process before entering a scene’’?

I get asked this question frequently. I’ve always hailed the importance of safety measures, so any initial thought I have is often based upon a foundation of Health and Safety that’s engrained in me.

In most cases, conducting a risk assessment, (which should always be carried out first), is a relatively straightforward and simple task. But when you’re navigating through an area that’s pitch black, debris everywhere, whilst operating a radiation device, it can definitely be more challenging. Nevertheless, it’s imperative to complete before briefing fellow colleagues and allowing them to enter the scene.

I have 7 fundamental steps in carrying out a risk assessment:

1. Identify present and potential hazards
2. Identify people at risk
3. Evaluation and action
4. Record and systematically plan
5. Review
6. Means of giving a warning to colleagues
7. Means of escape (the last, but by no means least important)

Disposing of flammables safely

Pouring flammable liquids down the drain, even in small quantities, poses a huge fire risk and can cause major environmental damage.

When it comes to disposing of flammable liquids safely, the best thing you can do is to either speak to a professional waste company, who will be able to dispose of the liquids for you. They will be able to advise you on where you can take these various flammables.

Urgent Fire Restoration

January 18, 2022/0 Comments/in Clean Extreme Option /by LWDadmin

Fire can be very destructive. It holds no regard to anything and anyone, as it will indiscriminately ravage a property once it breaks loose. The most important thing to do is to put it out as soon as possible in hopes of lessening the damage incurred to property and lives.

The second most important thing to do is to initiate fire damage restoration services – this can be done through your insurance company. Fire damage restoration will attend the property and assess the damage done. You will receive a scope of works along with a quote. If you proceed, they will restore the appearance of your property.

In January 2022 we had an urgent fire restoration booking. A fire completely engulfed a top floor and unfortunately spread throughout the communal areas of the building. All residents of the block had to evacuate and could only return once our services had been carried out – hence the urgency in completing this. Here’s how we complete a fire damage restoration (please note from case to case this can vary).

Assessment

Initiating a fire damage restoration is extremely different to any other clean or restoration service. Fire damage is different, as it requires careful planning and assessment before the fire damage repair can begin. After a fire ravages a property, it needs to be assessed thoroughly.

Properties will not only be assessed for the extent of the damage, but also specifically for ongoing water intrusion. The extent of the penetration of the fire to the structure of the property will be surveyed. In addition, the contents of the property will also be assessed so technicians know which can be kept or discarded.

Securing the Property and Debris Removal

The next thing to do now that the scope of work has been finalised is to secure the property. It’s important to create a fence in the perimeter to ensure that no one unauthorised or uninformed enters the premises and injures themselves, or causes further damage to the property.

Also, the fence is to give the fire remediation team a crowd-free room to work with. Fires can create a lot of attention, with both neighbours and the media so working in privacy is the most suitable environment. Next is to secure and remove all debris from the fire. We often use skips and our licensed waste carriers to dispose of materials. Also, parts of the property will be sealed off from the weather. Covering up the roof to protect the interior of the house is necessary.

Preventing Further Damage

Corrosion and mould will be some of the most significant problems in the aftermath of a fire. That’s why water needs to be suctioned out, or the property dried out, before proceeding any further.

Drywalls that were damaged, floorings, as well as some other materials that were ruined will also be stripped down to studs if deemed necessary. All of these are in order to restore the property’s structural integrity.

If needed, there will be some portions of the property that on the surface may have survived that will need to be torn down for the overall safety of the building.

Starting the Cleaning Process

We’ve now come to the most extensive part of the fire and smoke damage repair process — the clean up. You cannot solely rely on machines to do this phase of the job. Expect a lot of manual labor during the clean up.

Attention to detail is imperative in this execution. Each part of the property will be swept thoroughly and remediated. Then, right after the clean up comes the deodorising process. This is to remove the odour of smoke that may have latched onto the property.

Sanitation follows, using antimicrobial chemicals for best results. The ducts won’t be disregarded either and will be checked and cleaned thoroughly for soot.
Restoration

The last step of the process is to try and restore the property to how it was before the fire. Our sector Handy Option will now take over the job to finish it. Different construction processes commence restoring different parts of the place.

The roof, electrical wirings, drywall, and flooring are some of the parts of the property that will be paid special attention to. This phase of the whole process can take a while depending on the extent of the damage.

Nonetheless, by this stage the client may begin to see a sense of normalcy, as the damage of the fire will slowly yet surely be erased. After all has been rebuilt, furniture and fixtures will finally be brought back inside the property for finishing touches.

London 2021 Floods

January 17, 2022/0 Comments/in Flood Restoration /by LWDadmin

It seems as though as the years go by, more and more places around the UK are experiencing flooding. The problem of flooding was once something that people would only experience once every decade, or maybe longer but now it is impacting lives and causing stress and damage that results in high repair costs. However, after the flooding in London in July 2021, we were inundated by commercial and domestic clients who wanted to make use of our Flood Restoration service.

It is the speed at which the floods occurred because residents simply did not have enough time to prepare as many saw the water rise from two inches to 1.5 feet in a matter of minutes. The downpour hit London hard, with almost three inches of rain falling in just 90 minutes. So, this meant that people now had to turn their attention to cleaning up after the floods but the job is a significant task and this is where we helped.

Our Reputable Flood Restoration Service Made a Difference

When a flood takes over, where do you begin? The water, the damage and the loss of belongings can seem too much but this is where we really made a difference.

As experts, we had call after call from people who had suffered from the flooding and realised that they pretty much had to strip their property back and start again. Disheartening, sad and frustrating, especially as many people had lost sentimental items and items that held value.

However, with our expertise, we could give the residents confidence in knowing that soon, they would be able to focus on getting their property back to how it was before the flooding. This was a mammoth task as we worked on more than 73 properties as a team, working for 43 consecutive days to deal with the damage that the flooding had caused.

This involved stripping out the properties as they were completely water damaged. This meant removing all furniture, flooring, cupboards as well as all items as the water had caused significant damage. At this point, it is about getting the property to the point where we could then carry out complete sanitisation. This would ensure that the properties are clean and free from any bacteria and potential contaminants. This is because a lot of the floodwater would derive from streams and sewers which means it could be harmful to residents and contractors.

We ensured that we removed all odours and helped their properties to dry out quickly so they could get their lives back on track.

Once we had completed the decontamination work, It meant that the contractors could then enter the property to undertake all necessary works. This would involve repainting, laying new flooring and fitting any other furniture that was damaged during the floods.

Following flooding, it is especially important for homeowners to act fast so that the damage to their property is minimised. It will also ensure that the necessary work can be undertaken so they can begin to rebuild their home and their lives and this is where we really made a difference during the horrendous floods in London in July 2021.

Your Option Services LTD