12 Protection Tips for Fire Damage Restoration
Restoration contractors may forget about the dangers involved in the various environments they enter, but safety should always be a top priority. Those working in areas affected by wildfires should avoid breathing air contaminated by smoke odor and minimize their exposure to contaminated areas; wear proper personal protective equipment, including a proper fitting respirator with a P-100 HEPA filter designed to filter vapor or gases, if they need to enter a smoke-damaged structure; avoid handling or coming in direct skin contact with items or materials affected by smoke, soot, or ash; and be sure to wear proper personal protective equipment like coveralls, eye protection, gloves, proper footwear, and hardhats. Among other things, they should avoid using shop vacuums and other common vacuum cleaners that do not filter out small particles, and they should have an environmental testing laboratory test for volatile organic compounds and particulates to determine what types and concentrations of toxins may be present.