Biohazard Sewage Clean in Major Luxury Retail Store

A critical pipework failure due to plumbing work caused a severe sewage leak in a luxury retail store. Human waste was spread into a void area above the stockroom, which leaked through the ceiling, covering all the stock. As bodily fluids such as urine and feces can contain viruses, bacteria, and toxins, this created a high risk biohazard within the store. It also produced a foul odour which spread around the store, impacting trading and resulting in business downtime, as closing was essential.

This job was urgent, so we immediately sent two experts who arrived at the customer’s site just two hours after we received the initial enquiry call. Due to the high risk of contamination, it was essential that our teams were equipped with specialist PPE. Using high-end equipment, our teams were able to suction out all of the sewage waste. The ceilings, walls and surfaces required specialist contamination, and it was crucial that every area was thoroughly decontaminated. In addition, all of the stock was saturated in sewage waste, meaning it had to be destroyed as it was not safe for trading.

Our teams were on-site within two hours and spent 20 hours over the subsequent days thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting all areas. This ensured the property was safe to return to, without the risk of contamination. All affected stock was safely removed from the site and destroyed in the appropriate waste stream to ensure the customer remained compliant throughout the entire process. The site was left free from any foul odours, and was able to resume business as usual.