Responding to flooding events - restoration for healthcare facilities | Health Technical Advice (HTA)

The purpose of this Health Technical Advice (HTA-2024-002) is to provide guidance for restoration for healthcare facilities in response to flood or liquid escape incident (water ingress).

It is intended to be used alongside HTA-2024-001: Responding to flooding events - best practices and the facility’s emergency response plan, providing instructions for hospital management and external contractors on conducting successful remediation within a healthcare setting.

The remediation process for water damage and potential microbial growth in healthcare facilities involves a comprehensive and systematic approach, spanning from initial assessment of biological contaminant identification to returning the building and its contents to its pre-event condition. Proper planning, sampling, stakeholder engagement, and expert oversight are essential for ensuring safety and successful mitigation of the damage.

Please note: This document has been prepared as a guide and for information purposes only. No legal obligation for any loss, damage or expense is incurred by any person relying on the information provided.

Health Technical Advice contents

Executive summary
Introduction
- Purpose
- When to use this document
- Remediation introduction and overview
Definitions
Initial impact assessment
- Make safe
- Remediation engagement
- Qualified scientific consultant
- Project manager
- Expert panel
- Response time
- Initial assessment
- Visual inspection
- Moisture survey
- Environmental conditions
- Water classification
- Identification of biological contaminates
- Sampling
- Pre-existing water ingress
Remediation
- Introduction
- Area isolation
- Water removal
- Area contents
- Building structure
- Building fixtures
- Mould removal or disinfection cleaning
- Heritage listed structures
- Asbestos containing materials (ACM)
- Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) cleaning and recommissioning
- Lift Shafts
- Post-remediation verification
Contractor management
- Health and safety
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Donning and doffing
- Thermal stress
- Confined spaces
- Contractor work clearance requirements
What is not covered by this document
References
Appendix A: Flowchart
Appendix B: Image descriptions