Property owners take up fire damage restoration projects intending to attend to the chaos and save money immediately. However, amateur restorers are unaware that fire damage restoration is complex that it might look, and their inexperience can present bigger risks to both their finances and health.

If you are keen to take up a fire restoration process, the first thing that you need to ask yourself is, do you know what you are dealing with?

Are you aware that you are likely to be exposed to chemicals, biohazards, airborne particles, electric shocks, and flames during the cleanup process?

The risks associated with DIY fire damage restoration vary with different aspects, including the type of fire, property in question, and more.

For example, if you are dealing with a fire in a property that was built decades ago, you risk the following:

• Asbestos or asbestos poisoning
• Lead Poisoning
• Polychlorinated biphenyl
• Hazardous chemicals from paints and cleaners
• Mold, mildew, and spores exposure via carpets and vinyl wall coverings

The pointers above make PPE or Personal Protective Equipment imperative when it comes to restoring property fire damage. This blog post features the protective gear that you require if taking on a fire damage restoration project.

Hard hats:

Hard hats are vital for preventing fatal head injuries from falling objects. Post a fire incident, your ceiling might look OK from the outset, but the prolonged heat exposure can cause minor cracks and eventually lead to chunks of pieces of fall off.

In addition to protecting the head, hard hats can also help secure the eyes and neck from impacts, bumps, and electrical exposure to some degree.

Face shields/goggles:

The eyes could be the most sensitive organ in your body, and face shields/goggles help you protect it to a greater extent.

When dealing with fire damage, you risk exposure to flying objects, hot liquids, dust, sparks from electrical circuits, and molten metal. Face shields and goggles help secure your face against these risks.

Fire graded boots

Ask yourself whether your everyday footwear can offer protection from the following:

• Heated surfaces
• Slippery surfaces
• Difficult terrain
• Standing water
• Cuts, punctures, and abrasions from falling objects or trip hazards

If you do not have a solid answer to any of the above, bear in mind that you are more than likely to face situations that present any one or all the risks listed above.

It is always ideal to choose boots resistant to fire, water, puncture, bending, electrical shocks, high heat, and flames.

Protective clothing

Protective clothing safeguards the health and well-being of the wearer and protects from exposure to fire damage elements, including chemicals, electrical shocks, heat, physical and biological.

The protective clothing that you choose must be strong enough to

• Act as a barrier preventing infiltration of harmful substance
• Should be capable of reducing the extent of injuries even if infiltration happens
• Should protect the wearer long enough so that they can escape from the hazardous area

Chemical resistant gloves

Fire damage restoration requires moving hazardous materials and cleaning using different chemicals. This is where chemical-resistant gloves play a pivotal role.

Did you know that exposure to certain chemicals can cause permanent injuries or even deaths? The high heat and different materials involved in any property fire incident create the perfect setting for the formation of the most hazardous chemicals.

Preventing contact with any such chemicals should be an absolute priority.

Respirators

The property fire damage cleanup process is a long and tiring task. The project exposes you to different airborne particles, including spores, ash, soot, and other biohazards. Respirators play a crucial role in preventing these hazardous particles from infiltrating your lungs and causing respiratory health concerns.

As per Asbestos.com, more than 39,000 American lives are lost to asbestos-related diseases every year. Choose a respirator for the fire type and building type.

Preventing fire damage is almost impossible as there are myriads of ways a fire could occur. If you decide to take on fire damage restoration, be aware that it is not just the visible hazards, but there are several hidden bio and chemical hazards that make safety gear imperative for the project.

On almost every occasion, hiring a professional fire damage restoration service could be the smartest idea that could save you time, effort, and money.