Home Improvement Advice for Disaster Recovery

Personal Risk Assessment Do it Yourself Tips for Disaster Recovery

Action: Turn off electricity to flooded building

What are the hazards?

Slimes and silt will make the floor very slippery. Floorboards, lino and carpet may have swollen and caused a hidden trip hazard. Biological contamination will probably be present, wear gloves.

Please refer to our information regarding Personal Protective Equipment.

Remember This

The electricity may still be on despite the house being in darkness. Your building, especially if older, may not have been wired safely! Earth wires may not have been fitted and electrocution is a risk. Walls are sometimes live.

Make sure you wear rubber soled shoes or boots, put one hand behind your back, this would give you some protection against electric shock across your heart.

Enter the building in daylight if possible.

Use dry plastic or wood to operate switches or handles, (one hand only) isolate at fuse board.

If water is above fuse board do not enter building unless you know main power is off.

Do not turn on any electrical equipment (often it has been affected by water damage) until it has been professionally tested and certified.