Staying healthy and safe during the clean-up process

Follow the instructions and recommendations on this page to stay safe and in good health while carrying out clean-up activities in your house and on your yard. 

Never use gas-powered machinery such as pumps, generators or pressure washers to carry out tasks inside buildings or near doors or windows. Always make sure that your equipment’s air intakes and outlets are free of all obstructions.

Use a battery-powered carbon monoxide detector to control the quality of the ambient air on an ongoing basis, or don a personal detector with an audible warning device on the upper part of your body while carrying out hazardous activities.

Should a carbon monoxide alarm go off in the building you are in, exit the premises immediately and leave the door ajar once you are outside. You should also do this if you or a loved one present specific symptoms, including:

• headaches;
• nausea;
• fatigue;
• vomiting;
• dizziness;
• weakness.

If in doubt, contact Info-Santé by dialing 811. Should a serious program or an urgent need manifest itself, call 911 or make your way to the nearest emergency department (ER).

Consult the following pages for further information:

Stagnant water, water infiltration or items or materials that have gotten wet are all factors that can promote the development of mould. When mould is present in significant quantities, it can pose a health risk.

To learn more about the symptoms of exposure to mould and what persons are at risk, see the page Health problems caused by mould.

Should you injure yourself during the clean-up process: 

• immediately clean the injury, even if it is minor, with potable water and soap, then cover the wound with a sterile dressing;
• see a doctor if an injury is serious or a wound is dirty;
• make sure you received your latest tetanus shots.

Preventing injuries: 

• Avoid pulling, pushing or lifting overly heavy or difficult to manipulate loads, as this can be detrimental to the back, shoulder and knee muscles.
• Avoid moving objects that are too heavy or making too great of an effort.
• Limit the weight of the loads you carry or move.
• Use a suitable transportation or handling apparatus.
• Favour teamwork whenever possible, as it creates a group or shared effort.
• Ensure that the loads you manipulate are compact and that you can get a good grip, close to the body.
• Limit the distance to be travelled when carrying a load.

To learn more about tetanus or for health recommendations: 

Follow the instructions on the safety data sheets or the supplier label.

Store cleaning products in their original containers and make sure they are tightly closed.

Avoid mixing together various cleaning products, as this can generate irritating and toxic vapours.

Ventilate the rooms where chemical products were spilled. Should a specific product constitute a fire hazard, refrain from using electrical devices or other ignition sources, such as a lit candle, a lit cigarette or an open flame.

Do not move recipients containing unidentified chemical products, broken or damaged containers or damaged propane gas tanks without first reaching out to the fire safety department or your municipality.

Do not smoke, eat or drink near any spilled products.

Make sure the ventilation is adequate and stay a reasonable distance away from hazardous waste materials when storing them.

Check your oil, fuel oil, gas and other tanks. If there are leaks but they do not pose a threat to your safety, plug them temporarily and contact Urgence-Environnement at 1 866 694-5454.

In the event of a chemical spill, contact a specialized enterprise and notify your insurance company.

Communicate with your municipality for information on how to dispose of hazardous waste materials, or see the page Managing waste materials.

When volunteering, ask the organization in charge of coordinating the activities in question to provide you the necessary personal protective equipment.

Also, check whether you are covered by an insurance from the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) while you are performing volunteer tasks.

Learn more about the conditions governing volunteers by going to the page Working conditions - Special status – Volunteers.