When you originally got into water damage restoration, you knew that you’d be getting your hands dirty; along with your arms, legs, face and the rest of your body. But you may not have considered that it could get worse – if you decided to add sewage cleanup to your list of services.
“Sucking sewage” may not be the most glamorous of occupations, but it can certainly be profitable. But you don’t want to just jump into it (because that would be nasty) without being prepared. So the following are a few points to consider:
See No Evil - Considering the material you’re dealing with, your first objective is to prevent the risk of cross contamination into those areas not originally affected. So build containment that totally encloses the befouled area. Also be sure to lay down floor protection outside the containment area and don’t stray from it as you pass in and out of the building.
Touch No Evil – there’s a laundry list of dangerous health hazards associated with coming into contact with fecal matter. It’s critical that it's kept from coming into contact with your skin; especially cuts, sores and any mucus membrane associated with the eyes, ears and nose. That means covering up completely! Suit, full face respirator, hood, gloves, rubber boots, duct tape, etc. Also keep readily available a full stock of respirator wipes and sanitizer wipes, as well as access to an eye wash station and a change of clothes.