Geisinger offers safety tips for flood cleanup

DANVILLE — As you work to clean up after recent flooding, Geisinger Health System encourages you to stay safe.

Floodwaters carry untold pollutants, including anything from fuel and chemicals to sewage and manure. Anything touched by floodwaters may be contaminated with a host of harmful bacteria, cautions Bruce Hamory, MD, an infectious disease specialist and Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Geisinger Health System. Debris can harbor vermin like rats and snakes. And especially during times of physical and emotional stress, you and your family must try to maintain healthy habits.

Remember these tips, adapted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• Protect yourself — Wear rubber boots, rubber gloves and goggles while cleaning. Wash all clothes worn during cleanup in hot water and detergent, separate from uncontaminated clothes.
  • After cleanup or handling contaminated items or clothing, always wash your hands with soap and clean water.
• Protect your children — Keep children out of flood-contaminated areas, and wash their hands frequently (always before meals). Disinfect toys touched by flood water using a solution of 1 cup of bleach to 5 gallons of water.
• Boil water — Bringing water to a rolling boil for one minute will kill most organisms. But it will not remove chemicals. Use another water source if you suspect chemical contamination. If water isn’t safe for drinking, it’s not safe for brushing teeth.
• Disinfection — Household cleaners remove dirt, while disinfectants such as chlorine bleach kill disease-causing microorganisms. Chlorine bleach cannot disinfect a dirty surface. Surfaces must be cleaned of dirt before applying bleach solution. If you’ve cleaned an area with another product, rinse thoroughly before disinfecting with bleach. Use ½ cup of bleach per gallon of water for general disinfection. Don’t combine chlorine bleach with ammonia, as it can form potentially deadly chlorine gas.
• Puncture and other wounds — Clean wounds and apply antibiotic cream promptly. If you suffer a puncture wound or a deep, dirty wound and you have not had a tetanus vaccination for five years or more, go to the emergency room for a booster shot. You should update your tetanus booster every 10 years. Watch the wound for signs of infection; these include redness, drainage or swelling.
• Bug bites and rashes — Use insect repellent containing DEET or Picaridin to protect yourself from mosquitoes and other pests while working outdoors. Mosquitoes can carry West Nile Virus. To help control populations, drain standing water where you can.
• Bug bites or rashes may be treated with over-the-counter medications such as anti-itch creams or antihistamines. See your primary care physician or a dermatologist for persistent rashes.
• Rats — To discourage rats from infesting your neighborhood, remove food sources, water and shelter. Wash dishes and pans immediately after use, and dispose of garbage and debris as soon as possible.
  • Beware of snakes that may be hiding in debris. If someone is bitten, try to remember the shape and color of the snake while keeping the victim still and calm. If a poisonous snake, dial 911 for emergency help. In the meantime, lay or sit the person down so that the bite is below heart level, and cover the bite with a clean, dry dressing.
• Prevent dehydration — As you work to make repairs, remember to drink plenty of fluids — even before you feel thirsty. Avoid drinking caffeinated, carbonated or alcoholic beverages, which can promote dehydration.
• Pace yourself and ask for help — Set priorities for cleanup tasks and pace the work. Don’t work to exhaustion, and try not to work alone.

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