Did you know that kitchen fires are the leading causes of residential fires? Without taking the proper precautions, cooking can be a hazard. Luckily, avoiding a kitchen fire is very easy and simple if you follow the kitchen fire prevention tips listed in today’s post.

1. Don’t leave the kitchen

The main culprit of kitchen fires is an unattended stove. If you have things cooking, don’t leave the kitchen. If you must leave, turn off the stove or oven, and remove your pots and pans from the heat. If your eyes are on the stove, you will vastly reduce the chances of a fire occurring in the kitchen.

2. Keep the stovetop clean and clear

A cluttered stove area can cause a fire. Kitchen towels, paper, appliance cords, uncovered oil, and other flammable items need to be kept away from the stovetop. Be sure to clean the stovetop regularly. Food debris and leftover grease can easily ignite with enough heat. Also, before you begin cooking, remove excess oil and grease from the exterior of your pots and pans.

3. Be careful with cooking oils

Avoid using an oil with a low smoke point for high heat cooking, as it can catch fire. Also, don’t carelessly discard hot cooking oil. Many fires have been caused by putting hot oil in a garbage can with other flammable items.

4. Dress to cook

While you may look good wearing a suit or a long dress, you’ll be safer if you wear clothing that’s more kitchen-appropriate while you’re cooking. Loose and long clothing can accidently catch on fire. If you ever noticed a cooking apron, it has cut-off or shortened sleeves, and it has string that is meant to keep the apron and your clothes tight to your body.

5. Use appliances carefully

Kitchen appliances can cause fires if not used and maintained correctly. Keeps your cords away from oil and liquids. Remove food debris and oil from the appliances. Replace your power cords if they are damaged in some way. If an appliance is malfunctioning, stop using it and get it fixed or replaced.

6. Keep a fire extinguisher nearby

In the event of a fire, an extinguisher can quickly stop it from spreading. Don’t have the extinguisher stored too close too the stove, as that can make it hard to reach during a stove fire. Ensure that you know how to use it, too.

7. Be prepared

In addition to having, and knowing how to use, a fire extinguisher, you need to know how to react in case of a fire. Don’t use water to put out the fire, and don’t attempt to transfer a burning pot or pan to the sink—doing so can unwittingly cause the fire to spread. Quickly use an extinguisher if you have one. If the fire is getting out of control, quickly leave the home and call the authorities.

Kitchen fires can occur for a variety of reasons. However, if you apply these kitchen fire prevention tips, you will greatly reduce the chance of your kitchen catching on fire. For more info, contact Damage control today. 

Anywhere it rains, a flood can occur. If you’re unprepared, it can lead to catastrophic consequences for your home.  When preparing for a flood, follow the flood safety tips for homeowners listed in this blog post.

Survival Kit Preparation

There are certain items you absolutely need before and after a flood. Here are the most essential items:

• 3-7 Days of food and water. This includes non-perishable packaged or canned foods. Be sure to have at least one gallon per person, or enough water to last 3-7 days in your household.
• First aid kit. In the event that you or your loved ones suffer bodily harm, a first aid kit can be extremely useful. Be sure to include any important medications that you need to take.
• Flashlights and batteries. In major floods, the electricity can go out, which can make it dangerous to navigate at night. Be sure to carry multiple working flashlights with backup batteries, as they may come in handy.
• Cash. Banks and ATMs may not be open during a major flood, so it’s imperative that you have enough cash to last 3-7 days. This is especially important if you’re evacuating the area.

Protecting the Home – Flood Safety Tips for Homeowners

1. Flood-proof your electrical systems. Cover or raise any open sockets, switches, circuit breakers and wiring.  
2. Protect your household’s equipment. Any boilers, central air conditioning units, and general HVAC equipment can be vulnerable to floods because they are usually positioned at the lowest level of a home. If possible, consider elevating your home’s equipment above ground level to a higher floor. If you have any outdoor equipment, you will need to have it anchored and elevated as well. Whether you hire someone, or you do it yourself, ensure that you consult with your insurance agency before you make these adjustments.
3. Minimize sewage water backup. If your home’s sewer system is backed up, sewage can invade your home during a flood. To prevent this, install an interior or exterior backflow valve. These backflow valves will remove some of the pressure that’s on the sewer mainlines.
4. Waterproof the interior and exterior walls. If water floods into the interior, your home will suffer major damage. Protective waterproof coatings and sealing materials act as a buffer for flooding.
5. Anchor fuels tanks. Floodwaters can jeopardize fuel tanks, which can pose serious harm to you and your home. Whether the fuel tank is in the basement or outside the home, it can erupt and contaminate your area with oil. We recommend that you take preemptive actions to protect the tanks.

 

Stay Safe

During a major flood, the best thing you can do is make real attempts to keep you and your family safe. Monitor weather alerts, keep your house and car fully stocked supplies with essential supplies, and be prepared to quickly evacuate the area—if necessary.  For more info, contact Damage Control today!

A common form of behavior therapy, flooding is often used to help people overcome phobias. Considering our line of business, we believe this to be particularly ironic. Our technicians and staff have experienced the stress and psychological implications felt by our clients first hand and understand how traumatic a flood can actually be.

This is especially true if you find yourself in a situation that requires evacuation. Deciding what it is that you can take with you safely is an incredibly difficult decision to make. Fear of the unknown, including a future of potential disaster, can be enough to send even the most level headed individuals into a panic.

As professionals specializing in disaster restoration, we have the experience and knowledge needed to properly diagnose the aftermath of flooding. However, one of the most important parts of the job is recognizing the survivors and helping them cope with the situation at hand. This requires both empathy and the ability to acknowledge the need for those affected to heal.

Most survivors attempt to make sense of the devastation caused by flooding on their own, without the help of professional psychologists. Shock typically sets in early, making it extremely difficult to process new information. We often answer questions multiple times for a single individual until he or she is able to fully comprehend. And although we don’t have degrees in psychology or counseling, experience has taught us the importance of showing flood victims the compassion they deserve.

It is also extremely important to remember that items that cannot be replaced are often the most important. Whether they have sentimental or monetary value, nothing should ever be discarded without written consent provided by the client. In some situations, some items that aren’t covered by the insurance company may be restored, purely out of goodwill. This is a testament to our commitment to help survivors heal and alleviate their pain and stress.

Lastly, honesty is paramount to establishing a trusting relationship with clients. No false promises are ever made. Setting realistic expectations is imperative to the healing process, along with sensitivity and a true dedication to helping other.

Along with the unique issues that arrive when performing restoration services in hospitals, there are numerous departments that play important roles in the process, each of which has its own concerns. Just a few include:

• Medical Department
• Health and Safety
• Nursing Department
• Risk Management
• Infection Control
• Maintenance
• Administration
• Building Operations Center
• Housekeeping

Each of the departments mentioned have a particular set of requirements to be met, along with corresponding deadlines. Specific protocols are often necessary for each depending on their needs.

All the departments will make important decisions based on the information provided by the restoration company. For example, the Nursing Department may schedule more hours so that patients can be moved. Risk Management and Infection Control will be tracking the time passing since the incident occurred to monitor microbial growth. The Maintenance staff and Building Operations Center may have overtime to assist with mitigation.

In order to ensure that restoration runs smoothly, exceptional communication is needed between the restoration company and the hospital’s departments. Documenting details by keeping thorough records is also extremely important.

The plan devised by the restoration company must take into account the segregation of affected areas and the relocation of patients. It is also imperative to provide thorough diagnostics as quickly as possible to determine which components are salvageable. A thermal imaging camera if often useful to quickly find damage.

All items with mold damage, electrical damage or questionable integrity will need to be discarded, and extra care is needed when using drying equipment in any hospital or healthcare facility.

Blueprints of the affected areas that provide a more specific overview should be obtained to aid in mapping of migrating water. Suspect material in the components, such as asbestos, can be found regardless of the age of the building. It is important to consider whether drying the asbestos fireproofing is the optimal choice or if re-insulating is necessary. Also, the restoration company’s investigation should determine whether the drying procedure will compromise the integrity of the fireproofing capabilities and structural integrity of the insulation.

The ultimate goal after restoration has been finished is for the documentation to be completed and clearance to be obtained. A third party should be used to avoid conflict when evaluating the efforts of the restoration company. A final, thorough cleaning is also vital to ensure the safety and health of those who will be re-populating the affected areas.

Damage Control has extensive experience in restoration and mitigation for hospitals and healthcare facilities, and is ready to help your facility today. For questions about hospital damage restoration, contact one of our professionals now.

There are typically a unique set of issues that arise when performing remediation and restoration in hospitals. There are many needs that should be taken into account, including:

• Risk management
• Procedure scheduling
• Safety and health of occupants
• Redirection of occupants
• Available space

There are special considerations anytime a restoration involves the housing of a multitude of residents, but it’s important to remember that nearly all of the occupants in a hospital are at risk in some way.

Damage Control is an experienced restoration contractor who has worked in many hospital settings such as:

• Pediatric intensive care unit
• Bone marrow transplant unit
• Operating rooms
• Neonatal intensive care unit
• Patient rooms and more

The safety and health of the patients and those performing the remediation are always our highest priority. In order to maintain the highest safety standards and perform efficiently, every project is carefully evaluated using a similar protocol.

• We identify the water source and eliminate it.
• We document and map the boundaries of the water.
• We remove items that cannot be saved or protect them with the appropriate covering.
• Under controlled conditions, materials that can’t be dried with a 48 hour period are removed, with some exceptions. These items are stored and sealed in bags and HEPA vacuumed before prior to being removed.
• We remove carpet that is still wet after the first 48 hours and we also remove carpet that could potentially cause environmental issues.
• We use HEPA vacuums and clean with a mild detergent solution.
• We consult with Infection Control to find out what they’re preferred brand of hospital grade cleaner and avoid bleach because of odor problems and its corrosive nature.
• We always present the Material Safety Data Sheet to Risk Management or Infection Control to obtain written permission for usage. In some instances the hospital staff may apply their preferred brand.
• To avoid tracking we use tack mats.

For additional information on hospital restoration procedures, look for the upcoming post, Issues with Restoration in Hospitals – Part Two, or contact a Damage Control consultant today.