H&S Issues During and In The Aftermath of Flooding

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Letter to Branches




No. 115/14
Ref E4/14
Date: 18 February 2014




To: All Branches


Dear Colleagues,

Health and Safety Issues During and In The Aftermath of Flooding


Introduction

Whatever the cause, flood water presents a general hazard to health. Moving flood water can in particular be powerful, relentless and extremely dangerous.

This guidance deals with the health and safety issues arising from the current flooding that is affecting parts of the UK. After the 2007 flooding, a number of fatalities arose, not as a direct result of the floods, but during the clean-up. It is therefore an important issue for any Safety Reps and Union Reps that have workplaces that have been affected by water damage.
Advice for Union Health and Safety Representatives
The recent floods have not only cost the economy billions of pounds, they are also having a major and devastating impact on the lives, and the work, of hundreds of thousands of people. Many workers will be affected, either in the workplace or in their homes.
Employers have a legal duty to ensure that the health and safety of all employees is protected. It is not in anyone’s interests to ask workers to risk their lives or health either during the floods themselves, or in the aftermath.
This guidance is intended to assist Branch, Area and Safety Representatives in ensuring that the health and safety of members is not put at risk during or after the current crisis. It is not intended to deal with the wider societal issues, although some unions are already heavily involved in supporting members in those areas of the country where the flooding is most widespread.
Anyone in affected areas will by now have got used to checking local flood warnings, news bulletins and weather reports. The better prepared individuals and their employers are, the more likely they are to cope with the effects of the floods. Also, every employer should have a ‘disaster recovery plan’ in place, developed with Union input which should be regularly reviewed.

In areas where flooding still persists - Avoiding the Risk of Flood Water contact.
Under no circumstances should an employer ask anyone to travel in a flooded area unless they are part of the emergency services, they have been trained in how to deal with such situations and they have full support and back-up. People should not drive in flooded areas unless they have to and should never, ever try to drive through floodwater.
Not only is there the possibility that a vehicle may at best break down due to water ingress but at worst could be swept away putting driver and passengers in a potentially life threatening situation.
Nor should people attempt to walk, wade or cycle through floodwater. This is primarily because floodwater is likely to be highly contaminated with sewage, bacteria and viruses. Sewage and animal waste mixed in the water are leaving flood victims exposed to a cocktail of potentially dangerous bugs.  E.coli and salmonella are common bacteria that can be found in flood water as a result of contamination with farmyard waste. Meanwhile, human sewage could spread the winter vomiting bug Norovirus or Hepatitis A. If ingested, they can cause fever, stomach pain and diarrhoea.

Food or drink that has touched flood water must not be consumed. Water tested in the flooded village of Moorland, Somerset was found to be carrying much higher levels of bacteria than normal. It was a high bacterial count – 100,000 E.coli per 100ml. With drinking water, we would expect less than one E.coli per 100ml. It’s the equivalent of taking a couple of teaspoons of horse manure and dissolving them in an office water-cooler tank.
It is very easy to be swept away by currents or come into contact with contaminated water. Even in very shallow water there can still be many hazards underneath the surface, such as uncovered holes. The force of water often removes manhole covers for example.
If a building is surrounded by, or threatened by, floodwater and there is any possibility that water has got into the premises, including basement areas, the gas and electricity should be turned off.
In some parts of the country, a large number of premises remain without water supply or electricity, even beyond the area immediately flooded. Workers should not be expected to work without an adequate supply of fresh water and sanitary, toilet and washroom facilities. This would be contrary to Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations.
Workers in affected premises should normally be sent home or relocated, ensuring they can get home safely of course.
Where necessary, and in certain emergency situations, or where workers have no water or toilet facilities or heating etc,  Union Safety Representatives should discuss alternative arrangements with managment. No-one should be expected to work in buildings that are flooded.
After the flooding subsides
Following the flooding, Union Safety Representatives should meet with management to make sure workplaces are safe to be re-occupied. Death and injury is a serious risk in the aftermath of any flood and there are a number of precautions that should be taken. While unions will want to make sure that everyone “pulls together”, staff should not be put at any further un-necessary risk and no building should be re-occupied until it has been properly inspected and a risk assessment undertaken with necessary remedial action taken to make it safe and fit for purpose. In extreme cases the structure of the building will need to be checked before anyone is allowed in.
If any staff are involved in the clean up there should be a risk assessment and staff should be provided with proper personal protective equipment.
Buildings will not only need to be dried out, they will also have to be cleaned and disinfected. Floodwater contains not only silt but also sewage, infections and contaminants as detailed above. All surfaces that have been contaminated need to be properly cleaned and disinfected as well as dried.
Dampness can promote the growth of fungus and mould which can cause allergies and breathing problems if inhaled. People with Asthma and similar conditions are very much at risk in such environments.
Where employers use temporary portable gas or oil heaters to dry premises, it is important to ensure they have sufficient ventilation and are kept away from any flammable materials. Under no circumstances should petrol or diesel generators be used indoors due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and fire risks.
Any electrical equipment that may have been affected by floodwater must not be used until it has been checked and verified as being safe by a competent person. The electricity and gas supply should also not be switched on unless it has been similarly checked.
If any materials, such as chemicals, are stored on the premises they may also have been affected by water. In some cases the composition of the material may have changed or hazardous materials may have spilled out. Health and Safety Representatives should ensure that management have verified that any material that could become dangerous as a result of water damage has been checked and, if necessary, disposed of safely.
External doors, in particular fire exits, should be checked to ensure that they are usable before the building is re-occupied and fire alarms and emergency lighting systems looked at by a competent person before the premises are used.
After flooding, rats and other vermin can often be displaced from flooded buildings and will move to other premises in the vicinity. Employers in areas that are in, or close to, flooded areas should be particularly vigilant in checking for infestations.
Support for staff
In flooded parts of the country there will be many workplaces which have not been directly affected but where workers homes will have been partially underwater or they will have had no water or electricity supply. Safety and other Union Representatives should work with employers and managers to make sure that such workers are given as much support as possible. This could include access to showers and washing facilities at work, time off, or other support as required.
Summary - Flood water hazards, things to be aware of - stay out of it!

There can be significant risks from slip and trip hazards beneath the water as well as dangerous bacteria that could cause disease and other contaminants which will be in the water in both urban and rural environments. In rural areas contamination is more likely to come from agricultural chemicals and animal waste. It's safest to assume that water is contaminated even if there's not obvious evidence such as floating or suspended sewage, oil slicks etc.
Vehicles can quickly become unstable in moving water - 12 inches of water moving at only 6mph is enough to float the average family car or light commercial Car Derived Van away.
If you fall over in 6 inches of water moving at only 6mph you are unlikely to be able to stand up again.
There may be raised drain covers caused by flood water back pressure.
Open manholes caused by flood water back pressure.
Kerbstones, potholes, ruts, slopes and cambers.
Many other static and moving slip, trip and fall hazard which you can't see!
The majority of drowning deaths in the UK occur within only 3m of a safe point.
2/3 of those who die in flood-related accidents are considered to be good swimmers.
32% of flood-related deaths are by drowning in a vehicle.
After 20 minutes in water at 12C the temperature of the deep muscle of your forearm would drop from 37ºC to 27ºC,  leading to a 30% reduction in muscle strength.
In water 1m deep (waist high), flows of 1m/s become challenging and by 1.8m/s (4mph) everyone will be washed off their feet.
If the speed of the flood water doubles the force it exerts on you/your car is quadrupled.
Just six inches of fast flowing water can knock you off your feet and be enough for you to be unable to regain your footing.
Two feet of standing water will float your car.
Just one foot of flowing water could be enough to move the average car or van.
Just an egg cupful of water in a car or van engine combustion chamber could be enough to wreck an engine.
Flood water can be contaminated and carry diseases.
Culverts are dangerous when flooded – the siphon effect of culverts can drag in pets, children and even fully grown adults.

Summary - Driving - Cars, Vans and Lorries  - Flood water hazards, don't drive in it - stay out of it!

Never try to drive through floodwater - a foot of water can float a car or van away and two feet certainly will – even if you are in a large goods vehicle it can still be swept away so don't try driving through water, especially fast-moving water, such as at a flooded bridge approach – your vehicle could easily be swept away.
If you're driving and become stuck in flood water, it's generally best to stay in the vehicle and telephone for help rather than try to get out - unless the water is shallow, stationary and you can see the ground beneath the water.
If you return to find your vehicle standing in flood water it's best to leave it and telephone for help or wait for the flood water to subside, rather than try to get to it and move it - unless the water is very shallow, stationary and you can see the ground beneath the water.
Flood water, particularly sea water, can play havoc with vehicle electrics causing intermittent or erratic operation of lights and wipers for example.  Sometimes the consequences can be more dangerous, and we've seen cases where all the airbags have deployed suddenly and without warning some time after a vehicle was recovered.  If flood water has reached floor height or got inside the vehicle it's best to telephone for help before attempting to recover it.
Bear in mind that water levels can change quickly and dramatically.

Yours Sincerely


Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

[Lounge Lizard]

Although it's nice that Dave Joyce has the time to compose such an essay maybe he should realise that if he could condense it into a fraction of his two-thousand words there just might be a chance of a few of us actually reading it all.