Community Fire Safety Tips: Business & Home

9/30/2016 (Permalink)

Though some fires are unavoidable acts of nature or unpredictable accidents, many fires in the home and workplace are avoidable. The following tips, courtesy of the National Fire Protection Association, can help reduce the likelihood of a fire in your business or home.

1. Watch your cooking. Stay in the kitchen if you are frying, grilling or broiling food. Never allow young children around the stove or oven, especially if they are not closely attended.
2. Give space heaters space. Keep space heaters at least three feet from anything that can burn.
3. Smoke outside. If you must smoke inside, have a sturdy, deep ashtray. Never smoke in bed.
4. Keep matches and lighters out of reach. Keep matches and lighters in high cabinets, preferably under a child lock.
5. Inspect electrical cords. Replace cords that are cracked, damaged, have broken plugs or have loose connections.
6. Be careful when using candles.  Keep candles at least one foot from anything that can burn. Blow them out before you leave the room or go to sleep.
7. Have a fire escape plan. Make a fire escape plan and practice it at least twice a year.
8. Install smoke alarms. Install alarms on every level of your office or home and inside bedrooms. Interconnect them so they all sound at once.
9. Test smoke alarms. Test alarms once per month. Replace batteries once per year or as needed.
10. Install sprinklers. Sprinklers can help maintain and sometimes even extinguish fires, giving your local fire department a better chance of saving you properly.

How To Protect Your Workers From Excessive Heat

8/25/2016 (Permalink)

The human body is programmed to cool itself down when it gets too hot, usually by sweating. However, severe heat conditions can cause body temperatures to rise to dangerous levels. Without drinking enough water or resting in the shade, heat exhaustion or heat stroke may occur.

Signs of Heat Exhaustion include:

• Dizziness
• Headache
• Sweaty skin
• Weakness
• Cramps
• Nausea, vomiting
• Increased heart rate

Signs of Heat Stroke include:

• Red, hot, dry skin
• High temperature
• Confusion
• Convulsions
• Fainting

OSHA requires that employers provide workplaces free of any known safety hazards, and this includes protecting them from extreme heat. Here are some tips for establishing a heat illness prevention program:

• Make sure workers are provided with enough water, rest and shade.
• Allow new or returning workers to gradually increase workloads and take more frequent breaks as they acclimatize, or build a tolerance for working in the heat.
• Train workers on signs and prevention of heat illness, and to keep an eye on fellow workers.
• Consistently drink water every 15 minutes.
• In order to cool down, find time to rest in shady areas.
• Wear a hat and light-colored clothing.

If a worker becomes ill, a supervisor should be called immediately, followed by 911 if applicable. Make sure that someone is with the ill worker at all times until help arrives.

This issue hits home for us, since SERVPRO of Savannah technicians are constantly outdoors in the Georgia heat. Their safety and wellbeing is a priority at SERVPRO.

For more information, please visit: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/index.html?utm_source=Twitter

Our Highly Trained Restoration Specialists can restore your Savannah Home

8/23/2016 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Savannah is an IICRC firm. The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) creates the standards for the restoration industry and provides training and certification to restoration companies. IICRC Certified Firms have the right to display the IICRC Certified Logo.

IICRC Certified Firms must:

• Present accurate information to consumers and conduct business with honesty and integrity.

• Require a technician on all jobs who has been formally trained and passed all required tests.

• Require a continuing education program to keep technicians up-to-date on the latest changes in the industry.

• Maintain liability insurance to protect all parties in the event of an accident.

• Maintain a written complaint policy and agree to Better Business Bureau or similar arbitration to resolve disputes, and accept the conclusions and recommendations of arbitration.

The IICRC Develops The Standards For The Restoration Industry

The IICRC has been the driving force in establishing the main industry standards and reference guides for professional carpet cleaning, water damage restoration and mold remediation. These IICRC standards take years to develop and require the coordination of experts in the field: manufacturers, industry organizations, insurance professionals, training schools, contractors, and public health professionals.

Every five years, the standards are reviewed and updated. The water damage restoration field changes rapidly with advancements in technology and science, and therefore the standards must evolve to keep pace.

About SERVPRO of Savannah

SERVPRO of Savannah specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration and we are an IICRC Certified Firm. We believe in continuous training: from initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.

For Immediate Service in Savannah, Call SERVPRO

8/22/2016 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Savannah provides 24-hour emergency service and is dedicated to being faster to any-sized disaster in Chatham County. We can respond immediately to your emergency and have the expertise to handle your restoration or cleaning needs.

• 24-Hour Emergency Service
• Faster to Any-Sized Disaster
• Highly Trained Restoration Technicians
• A Trusted Leader in the Restoration Industry
• Locally Owned and Operated
• Advanced Restoration and Cleaning Equipment 

Have Questions? Call Us 24/7 – 912-234-9690

Residential Services

Whether your Chatham County home needs emergency flood damage or your upholstery cleaned, you can depend on us.  Our technicians have extensive cleaning and restoration training and can make your property look its best. Learn more about our residential services:

• Water Damage Restoration
• Fire Damage Restoration
• Mold Remediation
• Storm Damage Restoration
• Cleaning Services
• Building/Reconstruction Services

Commercial Services

There's never a convenient time for fire or Water damage to strike your Chatham County commercial property. Every hour spent cleaning up is an hour of lost revenue and productivity. So when the need arises for professional cleaning or emergency restoration services we have the training and expertise to respond promptly with highly trained technicians to get your property back to business. 

SERVPRO of Savannah Service Response Guidelines

8/15/2016 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Savannah follows the Service Response Guidelines.  

These guidelines state the following:

• Within one hour from the loss notice, a SERVPRO of Savannah Professional will contact you to arrange service.
• Within four hours from the loss notice, we will be on-site to start mitigation service.
• Within eight hours from the notice of loss, a verbal briefing of the scope will be communicated to the appropriate person.

Exceptions may apply under certain conditions, such as a local catastrophic event or storm situation. 

About SERVPRO of Savannah

SERVPRO of Savannah specializes in the cleanup and restoration of residential and commercial property after a fire, smoke or water damage event. Our staff is highly trained in property damage restoration. From initial and ongoing training at SERVPRO’s corporate training facility to regular IICRC-industry certification, rest assured our staff is equipped with the knowledge to restore your property.