Mud-Out Recommendations

Mud-out is much more complicated than it appears on the surface. The following information should be considered before entering a flood disaster area.

Immunizations

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a part of the Department of Health and Human Services, regularly updates information and recommendations on its Web site at www.cdc.gov.

The risk of tetanus among emergency responders can best be minimized by following standard immunization recommendations. To download the CDC's Tetanus Prevention information, click here.

Property Owner Job Order Approval

In any disaster response, litigation liability is a concern. Before any work is started on site, a Property Owner Job Order Approval must be filled out and signed by the owner with specific details of the job spelled out on the form.

Download a PDF of the Property Owner Job Order Approval form here.

Safety Guidelines for Workers

1. Workers should have health insurance.
2. Workers should know their limits and monitor their condition. Many well-intentioned volunteers have been injured or even killed during operations simply because they did not pay attention to their own physical and mental limitations. Fatigue leads to injury. Workers should stay rested, maintain proper nutrition, and drink water regularly.
3. Workers should use the buddy system—always work in pairs or in a group.
4. Teams should be rotated on a regular basis. The length of exposure of active volunteers should be monitored carefully.
5. Workers should be alert for hazards, such as sharp objects, dust, hazardous materials, power lines, leaking natural and LP gas, high water, fire hazards, and unstable structures.
6. If water is present, check the depth before entering. Never enter rising water.
7. Wear safety equipment and clothing appropriate to the job.
   Helmet or hard hat
   Goggles
   Dust mask
   Work gloves
   Rubber boots
   Heavy duty rubber gloves
   Tyvek coverall (for Orleans Parrish)

Cleaning/Disinfecting Hurricane-affected Residences (for Louisiana)

If evacuees choose to return and clean their hurricane-damaged homes, Department of Health and Human Services officials are not currently recommending any special immunizations because of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. However, anyone who sustains a cut while cleaning and has not had a tetanus shot within the past five years should get one.

Many houses will experience mold growth following the hurricanes.

To view the CDC's Mold After a Disaster Web page,  click here.

To view the CDC's Mold Cleanup and Removal Guide, click here.

For more information on mold, call 1 888 293-7020.

While cleaning mold, anyone who is allergic to mold may experience a stuffy nose, irritated eyes, wheezing, skin irritation, difficulty breathing, or shortness of breath. People with weakened immune systems and chronic lung diseases may develop mold infections in their lungs. If any health-related problems appear after working around mold, contact a doctor or other health care provider immediately.

For maximum protection, wear a N95 designated face mask or NIOSH-approved respirator, rubber boots, rubber gloves, goggles, and a soft hat or hard hat (if there is danger of falling debris or electrical hazards) when working with moldy materials. Be sure to throw away all porous items that have been wet since these can remain a source of future mold, even if they are not moldy now. Further information on cleaning mold is available at http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/floods or by calling 1 888 293-7020.

Mud-out Equipment List 

    Mud-out Cleaning Helpful Hints

1. Explain to the homeowner what you will be doing when you mud-out a home.
2. Explain to the homeowner the health hazard that may be present if the interior walls have had water and mud between them. Explain that the type of mold that grows from flood waters and mud can cause serious lung problems.  Whenever possible give the homeowner a brochure from the CDC or some other reputable source of information to help them understand the risks involved. Remember to have the owner sign a Property Owner Job Order Approval before work is begun.
3. Walk carefully through the structure. Floors may be slippery or weakened.
4. Follow recommended FEMA and local health department guidelines in allowing homeowner to decide which articles are to be salvaged and which are to be thrown away.
5. Be sensitive to the homeowner’s loss, which will most often will be everything due to contamination.
6. Remove and dispose of all floor coverings.
7. Remove all built-in cabinets if the water line extends on the cabinets.
8. Mattresses and upholstered furniture should be removed and disposed.  
9. Advise owner to let the area dry thoroughly before beginning repairs. Drying time may take a few weeks to several months. The facilities may need to be inspected by government building inspectors. Check with the local government building authority for guidelines.

Debris Removal for Louisiana

Debris removal is being handled at the county and parish levels. In most cases, the homeowner must file a Right of Entry form with their county and parish before debris can be removed in their absence. The homeowner should contact their home county for additional information, including the Right of Entry Form and proper disposal procedures.

Most counties require residents to separate debris into piles of household items, wood and construction-type items, and appliances, and then place those piles at the curb.

Note: If you reside in an area affected by the Formosan termite, you must keep all wood products separate from other construction-type debris so that it can be treated prior to disposal. Affected areas are under a quarantine in order to contain these termites and prevent them from affecting other areas.

To contact the Louisiana Homeland Security Debris Hotline, call 1 866 617-1780 or visit online at http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/.

Louisiana Parish Websites

• Jefferson Parish: http://www.jeffparish.net/
• St. Bernard Parish: http://www.sbpg.net
• Plaquemines Parish: http://www.plaqueminesparish.com/
• St. Charles Parish: http://www.stcharlesgov.net/
• City of New Orleans: http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx
• St. Tammany Parish: http://www.stpgov.org/hurricane_katrina_aftermath/hurricane_katrina_aftermath.html
• St. John the Baptist Parish: http://www.sjbparish.com/index.asp

Steel Stud Framing Subjected to Salt Water Exposure

It has been brought to our attention that a portion of the installed framing members has been exposed to the effects of salt water exposure for this Gulf Coast project. The following recommendations should be considered to address this situation.

1. The job site needs to be dried.
2. All dried salt in contact with the framing must first be removed.
3. A job site inspection should be performed to identify which framing members need to be replaced or remedied or no action required. ASTM C 645 section 4.2 requires a minimum G40 coating for all drywall framing members. ASTM C955 section 4.4 requires a minimum G60 coating for all structural framing members.
4. Framing which has a substantial degradation to the base metal simply needs to be replaced.
5. Framing which is determined or soundly judged to require a field painting should be done accordingly.
6. In treating this problem, we recommend the use of a zinc-based cold galvanizing compound to repair the affected areas. When properly applied, a zinc-rich product will provide adequate protection of the base material. Proper procedure calls for a liberal application of the zinc-rich compound after removing any flaking coating with a wire brush. Please reference ASTM A 780 Repair of Damaged and Uncoated Areas of Hot-Dip Galvanized Coatings.
7. The American Welding Society states “The application of zinc-rich paint is the most rapid and convenient method of repair. The percentage of zinc dust in these paints should preferably be over 90% to provide good corrosion resistance . . . The paint is applied with a brush, preferably in two coats . . .” The AWS also goes on to state that spray application is just as effective as brush application. Sherwin Williams, for example, is a national paint supplier that manufacturers a zinc-rich paint.
8. Now that the source of the surface oxidation (salty moisture) has been eliminated and any necessary remedies have been implemented, the surface durability concerns too have been eliminated. This condition now does not pose any long-term problems to the base metal and, therefore, to the integrity and strength of the component framing.