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CHUG Helps Healthcare Facility Maintain their Operations During Water Emergency

CHUG Helps Healthcare Facility Maintain their Operations During Water Emergency

A CHUG member healthcare facility faced a disaster when a 6” water main line to the fire suppression system froze it caused a spiraling effect of burst pipes expelling thousands of gallons of dirty water within the facility, CHUG was ready to take action.

CHUG called upon its’ restoration team to assist. Upon arrival, the team quickly identified the expelled water as a CAT 3-level water emergency spanning the first floor of the 33,000 square foot facility, which housed more than 150 residents.

CHALLENGES:

  • 33,000 SF of the affected area

  • Relocation of residents from the first floor to the second floor

  • Stagnant, dirty water throughout the 1st floor

Within hours, the healthcare staff were equipped with the decision-making skills to transport the patients to the second floor quickly and safely, allowing them to shelter-in-place. The healthcare organization had utilized CHUG’s expertise to educate all of their staff in emergency preparedness planning for hazards just like this one. The staff participated in an exercise to test their skills. Providing their staff with the knowledge and skill-set to manage an event such as the flooding and evacuation they were well prepared to mitigate this hazardous situation.


Any time you have stagnant dirty water, it is an emergency. In addition, it is a host for bacteria and mold. Working with a healthcare facility decisions must be made to ensure the solution you’re providing is in the best interest of everyone within the building. Our team of experts checked the building to make sure that it is structurally sound, safe for residents and staff, and with the goal of keeping operations of the business intact.


When an unforeseen emergency threatens a business's operations, it’s important to have an all-hands-on-deck approach. The healthcare facility’s team responded efficiently to address the patients’ and residents’ needs. Collaborating with their management, owners, CHUG, and other stakeholders they determined that they would provide a vertical evacuation of the patients and residents from the first floor to the second floor and shelter-in-place. The staff jumped in to help remove water, clean, and disinfect the affected areas. Time was of the essence.


The CHUG restoration and remediation team coordinated all efforts from there, including sourcing materials, installing two desiccants to stabilize the environment, adding HEPA air scrubbers, and bringing in dehumidifiers. CHUG also completed multiple inspections and brought in an industrial hygienist for increased safety and compliance measures.


MITIGATION:

  • Extract water

  • Clean and disinfect floors

  • HEPA air scrubbers used during the patient relocation

  • Two desiccant dehumidifiers to stabilize the environment

  • Guided the insurance claim with the facility to coordinate logistics and the best path to restoration


RESULTS:

Director of Operations, John Schaefer put his ICRA Certification to work to help this facility maintain business operations.

“The key in these emergencies is to avoid downtime and that's what we were able to provide for this customer.”

That’s the thing about emergencies, they are never planned but should be planned for by training and testing your emergency operation plan. That is precisely what this healthcare facility had done with the expertise of CHUG.  We get it, your business is your livelihood and each moment matters. CHUG has been built upon the foundational principle of preparing organizations for exactly these types of emergencies and ensuring that your business stays operational for the safety and well-being of the organization and the patients and residents it serves. 

Preparing for the unexpected.

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