Flooding up the East Coast of the South Island is leaving residents with a huge headache to deal with. What’s worse is that in some areas raw sewage has mixed with the flood water and this can possess real health risks to residents and contractors who have to clean it up.
WHAT TO DO?
When cleaning up after a flood where you suspect sewage may have contaminated the water you need to take precautions to ensure the contaminated water doesn’t get on your skin or in your mouth.
- Wear protective gloves (Nitrile or latex are normally best)
- Wear protective coveralls that can be disposed of afterward. When selecting coveralls make sure they are an effective barrier against infective agents- look for this symbol:
- All Microgard coveralls from the Microgard 2000 and up have been tested and approved for use with infective agents. We recommend the following coveralls: M2000 | M2300 | M3000.
- Download our guide to protection against infective agents.
Other measures:
- Wear a respiratory mask to stop any splashes or contaminated liquid getting in or around the mouth. We recommend the STS RS01 and RX01 Half Masks and FFP2 Disposable masks
- Always wash hands and sanitise after working with contaminated materials and before eating, drinking or smoking.
