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Sewage spills are considered a health and environmental risk due to the harmful and deadly bacteria, fungus and asphyxiating gases released in such events. They can have devastating consequences if biohazard cleaning is not promptly carried out in all affected areas (you can read our case study on successful biohazard cleaning here).
A story reported by Channel 4 News stated that sewage spills are a result of systematic failures to invest in proper infrastructure, and can include the privatisation of water companies and may be closely related to climate change too.
Climate change has been reported by the IPCC as a code red for our planet. This can lead to devastating consequences, including potential droughts, heatwaves and flooding. As the earth becomes warmer, it holds more moisture, therefore bringing more rain. An example of this is the 2021 floods in Germany.
Furthermore, rain from climate change is a very common contributing factor to sewage spills in the UK. This is most likely in urban areas, such as London. Heavy rainfall can overwhelm the capacity that drains and sewers can hold. As a result, sewage spills can also occur through the management of our drainage systems and when overwhelmed, can on occasion flow up through toilets and into the property itself. This warrants emergency biohazard cleaning!
According to the NRDC, when more urban areas are built and inhabited, it adds “pavement and other impermeable surfaces, alters natural drainage systems, and often leads to more homes being built on floodplains”. In addition to this, they reported that a poorly maintained city infrastructure can also cause cases of urban flooding.
Additionally, Channel 4 reported on a 4-year-old boy who was admitted to hospital from contamination exposure, following a sewage spill in his London home. This highlights just how crucial sewage maintenance and biohazard cleaning is for health and safety and disease prevention in urban areas.
Diseases can arise from coming into direct contact with sewage water or with someone who already has an oral disease relating to faecal matter. It can also be caused by indirect contact, through contaminated objects such as furniture and food. No matter how small or large the amount of sewage spilled is, it must always be treated by professional biohazard cleaning services.
Although some diseases may be acute, such as diarrhoea, headaches, nausea, cramps, fever and vomiting, more severe illnesses can arise:
Before anything should is cleaned, it is essential that the correct PPE is worn so that there is no further exposure to toxins. This includes wearing thick clothing, masks, safety goggles, gloves and boots.
It is also essential in any biohazard clean-up to dispose of anything contaminated that cannot be washed or cleaned effectively, such as toys or furniture. If hot water and bleach, or professional cleaning supplies cannot clean something properly, it needs to be disposed of.
Sewage spills can also affect the infrastructure of a building and the materials depending on the severity of the spill. Therefore, it is important to inspect and then remove these if they are unable to salvaged. These can include carpets and padding, plaster and skirting boards, drywall, plastic wallpaper and anything that is hard to disinfect. Furthermore, anything of low value around the house should be removed, such as food and home accessories that can be replaced easily. It is always better to be safe.
Contamination could remain deep inside these materials, preventing them from being effectively cleaned of harmful toxins. If not cleaned effectively, microorganisms can regrow.
Sewage biohazard cleaning should always be done professionally, as specialist companies are properly trained in dealing with the issue safely and effectively. It is best to deal with the issue as quickly as possible to stop viruses and gases spreading, deter pests and rodents, and to reduce the damaging effects to a property.
CPL t/a Rainbow Restoration are on hand to provide a rapid biohazard cleaning service for any emergency sewage spills, so please do not hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team on freephone 0800 030 4360.