As a newcomer to the restoration and remediation industry, you quickly learn that remediation gets rid of the bad stuff while restoration replaces the good stuff. But often, little mention is given to the first part of the disaster relief team – containment. Yet, proper protocol says to first contain, then remediate and restore.
So what is containment and why is it important? Specifically, containment is preventing something from escaping. The restoration professional is likely to encounter substances like mold, microbials (naturally occurring micro-organisms), toxin-producing pathogens, friable lead and asbestos. Most of these toxins are very small and can easily hitch a ride on normal air currents found in most buildings. Without containing these potentially toxic substances, at the source and within a confined area, they are likely to end up creating a significantly larger mess than first encountered and quickly saturate the air being inhaled by workers, homeowners and occupants of the affected buildings.