Recent Biohazard Posts

When a potential dangerous situation may occur

8/15/2018 (Permalink)

When a potential source of danger occurs, SERVPRO of Olympia is ready to clean up any bio-hazard situation

Bio Hazard Cleanup and Restoration

Exposure to biological and chemical contaminants can pose serious health consequences. A failure to properly remove such substances can contribute to unhealthy and dangerous environments. SERVPRO Franchise Professionals are trained to safely clean and remove biohazardous substances and dispose of them properly in accordance with OSHA and health regulations.

Equipped with the necessary safety apparatus and cleaning products, SERVPRO Franchise Professionals are here to help transform any unsafe environments back into clean, safe homes and offices.

Need Biohazard Cleanup?
Call Us Today (360)754-9689

The decontamination of a home or business due to trauma, sewage backups, chemical spills, hoarding, or other biohazards can be both dangerous and emotional. Specialized training and experience is key when choosing a cleanup company to resolve these circumstances.

The SERVPRO Franchise Professionals provide cleanup and recovery services for many biohazard situations. These include the following:

Common Biohazard Scenarios

Sewage Backups

Sewage backups and dark water intrusions are more than nasty, smelly deposits – these damages also introduce harmful microorganisms into a structure. SERVPRO of Olympia will remove the sewage, contaminants, and moisture, and help ensure the structure is properly cleaned, disinfected, and deodorized.

Hoarder Property Cleanup

8/15/2018 (Permalink)

People with hoarding disorder excessively save items that others may view as worthless.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hoarding-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20356056

People with hoarding disorder excessively save items that others may view as worthless. They have persistent difficulty getting rid of or parting with possessions, leading to clutter that disrupts their ability to use their living or work spaces.

Hoarding is not the same as collecting. Collectors look for specific items, such as model cars or stamps, and may organize or display them. People with hoarding disorder often save random items and store them haphazardly. In most cases, they save items that they feel they may need in the future, are valuable or have sentimental value. Some may also feel safer surrounded by the things they save.

Hoarding disorder occurs in an estimated 2 to 6 percent of the population and often leads to substantial distress and problems functioning. Some research show hoarding disorder is more common in males than females. It is also more common among older adults--three times as many adults 55 to 94 years are affected by hoarding disorder compared to adults 34 to 44 years old.

Consequences

Hoarding disorder can cause problems in relationships, social and work activities and other important areas of functioning. Potential consequences of serious hoarding include health and safety concerns, such as fire hazards, tripping hazards and health code violations. It can also lead to family strain and conflicts, isolation and loneliness, unwillingness to have anyone else enter the home and an inability to perform daily tasks such as cooking and bathing in the home.

  • Diagnosis 

    Diagnosing Hoarding Disorder

    Individuals with hoarding disorder have difficulty discarding items because of strong perceived need to save items and/or distress associated with discarding. The symptoms result in the accumulation of a large number of possessions that congest and clutter living areas of the home or workplace and make them unusable.

    Specific symptoms for a hoarding diagnosis include:

    • Lasting problems with throwing out or giving away possessions, regardless of their actual value.
    • The problems are due to a perceived need to save the items and to distress linked to parting with them.
    • Items fill, block and clutter active living spaces so they cannot be used, or use is hampered by the large amount of items (if living spaces are clear it is due to help from others).

    The hoarding causes major distress or problems in social, work or other important areas of functions (including maintaining a safe environment for self and others).

    An assessment for hoarding may include questions such as:

    • Do you have trouble discarding (or recycling, selling or giving away) things that most other people would get rid of?
    • Because of the clutter or number of possessions, how difficult is it to use the rooms and surfaces in your home?
    • To what extent do you buy items or acquire free things that you do not need or have enough space for?
    • To what extent do your hoarding, saving, acquisition and clutter affect your daily functioning?
    • How much do these symptoms interfere with school, work or your social or family life?
    • How much distress do these symptoms cause you?

    Mental health professionals may also ask permission to speak with friends and family to help make a diagnosis or use questionnaires (rating scales) to help assess level of functioning.

    Some individuals with hoarding disorder may recognize and acknowledge that they have a problem with accumulating possessions; others may not see a problem.

    In addition to the core features of difficulty discarding, excessive saving and clutter, many people with hoarding disorder also have associated problems such as indecisiveness, perfectionism, procrastination, disorganization and distractibility. These associated features can contribute greatly to their problems functioning and overall severity.

    SERVPRO of Olympia has been trained to handle and clean up after these unfortunate situations.  Call Today (360)754-9689