Rat poop everywhere!

[amygeorge]

Basement flood - Didn’t know it was flooded until the water reached the first floor.

Spent most of the day getting the water out - 4 pumps going.

Water is down to less than a 1\4 inch and we’re going in this morning to finish extracting.

Rat feces like I’ve never seen before. Total infestation - not just a few night visitors leaving behind evidence. Yes, we’re wearing PPE.

Questions:

1) I can’t get the adjuster on the phone - so how do you justify this as a hazard clean up instead of a traditional WDR job? We’ve taken pictures and notified the business owner.
2) How do you charge for something like this? Is there an industry standard price - hourly? I use a billing company, but they’re closed today. No, I’m not trying to get paid today - just didn’t know what to tell the business owner, who is an insurance agent and asked.
3) Is there anything else you think I need to know?


Thanks, Amy

 

[Desk Jockey]

You hit it right off, protect yourself. Hantavirus is nothing to be cavalier about, it can be fatal. http://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/pdf/hps_brochure.pdf

If it is as bad as you've stated I'd treat it as Cat-3 for procedure as well as billing. Fecal matter is fecal matter whether human or rodent. Get plenty of photos document everything you're doing. We usually bill Sewage cleanup as "time & materials" mainly because it is a very detailed thorough cleaning. Once the job is complete you can work out both ways and bill which ever is in your best favor.

 

[GCCLee]

Is Rat Poo defined in technical terms as Haz-Mat or Bio?

Wow! That should buy ya a steak n tater dinner.


Sent from da bak seat of a Purple Caddy where the roadkill is real : )

 

[Steve Toburen]

Rat feces like I’ve never seen before. Total infestation - not just a few night visitors leaving behind evidence. Yes, we’re wearing PPE.

Photos, Amy. We want photos.

Steve

PS Better get this baby nailed down super legal with the property owner. (And you may want to get a deposit.) Sounds like it could bite you later.

 

[Jeremy N]

Cat III and then some charges.

I cleaned up thousands of gallons of human feces under a house one time. That was truly a pleasant experience. The USAA adjuster talked to me on the phone. He basically said charge me whatever you want and send me some pictures, "I'm not coming out, have fun."

 

[amygeorge]

Well, we’re still working on this rat nasty! Pictures? I was asked by the property owner to not let anyone know and to please keep the pictures for the adjuster only, however, I will post some when I download them to my computer. Just don’t tell her…… -

Days like this is when I wish I had someone to refer the business to. Not a fan of this type work. I have two hispanic men helping me and they think I’ve lost my mind to make them wear all the PPE stuff. I provided them with a print out of the Hantivirus - in Spanish so they are more on board, but still think I’m crazy.

 

[Hoody]

Days like this is when I wish I had someone to refer the business to. Not a fan of this type work. I have two hispanic men helping me and they think I’ve lost my mind to make them wear all the PPE stuff. I provided them with a print out of the Hantivirus - in Spanish so they are more on board, but still think I’m crazy.

From someone that used to work for people for many years, that is truly awesome. I can't tell you how many times I ran into things early on not knowing what I was getting into because I was not informed by my employer. I think all restoration employers should have internal training and protocol meetings about what to do when you run into certain situations like this.

I did a Cat 3 loss once, and then found out someone in the home was HIV positive and it scared me half to death. Even with PPE on, you may want to take extra safety measures when you find out information like this since we are dealing with bodily fluids and what not.

Has anyone ever thought about putting a disclosure statement on their forms that asks if anyone in the house is suffering from any blood borne illnesses ? Is there a politically correct way to do that without causing a negative moment for the customers ? I think it is good to know when we're using any antimicrobials and or biocides in the home so we can inform our customers of any impending dangers to them (just as we do with children or elderly, but also a safety matter for those working in the home.

 

[Mark Saiger]

Has anyone ever thought about putting a disclosure statement on their forms that asks if anyone in the house is suffering from any blood borne illnesses ?

When I was teaching, we were not even given information or really allowed to have information such as this due to data privacy laws of a student/person.

We were trained on how to handle this and always told to handle every situation as if they could have blood born pathogens, but we were not allowed to ever know a lot of particular things about people/students.

I was even sued over a student having a heart condition (me not knowing) and that student chose not to do marching band and I was being accused of not giving the student a 1st chair position because of this (they actually did not play as well as some other students).

It was considered discrimination because the student had this condition....and they should have had special circumstances....even though I wasn't originally allowed to know until I got sued over them not getting first chair position.

I was told a student actually even though they have a heart condition might have to be given special privileges to be a starter as well say on a basketball team!

I do want to tell you I did have a DIFFERENT student die on a marching field DURING COMPETITON, and his pacemaker kept kicking in while he laid on the field and I ran to his aid. In front of thousands of people. Not a great day!

He did live that day....but died 3 years later I believe it was on a Colorado bike trip from a heart attack. Was 21 years old! The pacemaker company was sued by many for their equipment not working properly.

So unfortunately, You need to assume that everyone has a situation and take care of you and your workers....and INSIST on safety.

Mark

 

[Desk Jockey]

Mark makes a good point, just assume and "act as if".

Depending where the backflow originated it could be mixed with the neighbors waste and industrial waste and who knows what. Best practice would be to assume the worst.

 

[SMRBAP]

Amy, my experience on the Cat I/II vs. III issue is it really depends on the adjuster and insurer.

I can't tell you how many times an adjuster wrote a toilet bowl overflow flood as a Cat I flood on me and argued to near death about my cat III related protocols and charges.

The best advice I can give is pictures and documentation, never take for granted a customer will land on your side if things sour.

If and when you get into the argument with an adjuster prior to work commencing, ask them for a liability waiver that removes the liabilities they are asking you to take on, and places it on them - they will refuse to accept the liability every time guaranteed

 

[Jeremy N]

I was once told that a sewage backup wasnt a Cat 3 cause one of my guys didn't have a mask on.

 

[amygeorge]

View attachment 4208View attachment 4209

Best I can do… It was so dark down there - my pictures turned out bad.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I think next time I'd just hire a bunch of Mexican's and let them do the cleanup.

Get her all done? Looks like quite a bit of work you did there! They should probably also seal up the cracks or possible entrances to keep them from doing it again.

 

[amygeorge]

contractor was coming in behind us. yes, i hired some mexicans - and they thought i had lost my mind making them wear protection. Antonio (above) wouldn’t let me take his picture with the “hood” on. He said he was a mexican not the KKK.

 

[Desk Jockey]

LOL

Just picking on you since you had already told me the story. Seriously at least you cared about their safety.

 

[GCCLee]

Is that a Rat Carcass?


Son of a Shotgun material! Whoaa Doggie!