Brisbane City Council is urging residents to take care when cleaning up their homes and businesses from this week’s storms and heavy rain.
With further storms forecast this week, it is important that residents safely undertake clean up operations around their properties.
Residents in storm-hit areas should avoid backwashing their swimming pools until further notice. People wishing to clear their pools of storm-related debris are asked to do so without releasing large amounts of water into ground which has already been softened by recent heavy rains. Instead, residents are asked to take care when clearing pool debris by hand before disposing of this waste by depositing it at Council waste transfer stations free-of-charge.
Houses built in the 1940s to late 1980s are also likely to contain asbestos in the form of fibro sheeting or walls, so residents in these dwellings are advised to contact a Licensed Waste Contractor to safely remove the hazardous substance. Houses built after 1990 are unlikely to have asbestos, however care should still be exercised. Material considered to be asbestos related should not be placed into Council wheelie bins.
DOs:
- Do call a licensed electrical contractor to repair electrical damage if your home or business sustains damage that prevents the reconnection of power.
- Do take extra care around your switchboard if it’s outdoors and wear synthetic or rubber soled shoes.
- Do wear suitable protective clothing (for example, closed boots and gloves) when cleaning up and be wary of snakes, spiders and rats that may have taken refuge in your home.
- Do start drying out the house as soon as floodwaters recede. On dry days keep all doors and windows open to assist with drying. Fans may also help.
- Do check for trapped water and mud in wall or floor cavities.
- Do remove all water-holding rubbish from your yard and empty out pot plant bases to avoid creating mosquito breeding sites.
DON'Ts:
- Don’t take chances with fallen powerlines - even if there’s no sparks, assume it is ‘live’ and dangerous. Keep well away, warn others and call 000.
- Don’t let children swim in floodwaters - there may be ‘live’ electrical wiring or fallen powerlines in or around the water that could be hidden by debris.
- Don’t use any electrical appliances that have been wet or damaged.
- Don’t turn on the electricity if power points have been exposed to floodwater until a qualified electrician has inspected it.
For more information, people can contact Council’s Contact Centre on 3403 8888 or visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au
