CleanSafe has provided a food retailer with a comprehensive package of extreme cleaning and food waste disposal services after one of its supermarkets was devastated by a fire.
A storage freezer at the town centre supermarket in the south west of England overheated and caught fire, causing an explosion powerful enough to blow the store’s front windows out.
CleanSafe, working with our sister company WasteSafe, was commissioned to remove the food stocks from the store, and then carry out a full fire restoration clean.
The objective was to allow the retailer to refit its store and reopen it as quickly as possible.
CleanSafe Account Manager Stephen Savill said: “This was one of the most challenging food waste disposal and fire restoration cleaning projects we’ve been given for some time.
“The store had been fully stocked with food because it was the summer season. By the time we could gain access, after the building had been made safe and the fire investigated, the food had deteriorated seriously.
“Also, the intensity of the fire and explosion had caused tins to explode and plastic packaging to melt into the floors.”
Wearing full protective clothing, including masks and goggles to protect against mould spores, soot and dust, WasteSafe’s fully-trained operatives removed 15 tonnes of food waste from the store, taking it for safe disposal at an authorised site.
They then stripped out the fire-damaged equipment and furniture, along with the suspended ceilings, taking the building back to its bare walls and floors. CleanSafe extreme cleaning operatives then took over for the next stage of the operation, which was to carry out a thorough environmental clean. This involved:
- Deep cleaning all the floors, ceilings and walls
- Carrying out thermal fogging, using a machine to generate a mist of deodorising chemicals that penetrates walls and floors, removing all odours
- Spraying walls with a soot-sealing chemical agent mixed with emulsion that fixed any remaining particles of soot, so they cannot cause future problems.
Stephen Savill said: “When we had finished, the building was a blank canvass, allowing the shop fitters to move straight in and start creating a new supermarket from scratch, knowing the space was safe and ready to work in.
“This project clearly demonstrates the value of using CleanSafe, as the UK’s leading extreme cleaning specialists, for fire restoration cleaning. We tackle hazardous waste and complex cleaning projects like this safely and professionally.
“That way, our clients can get back to business as quickly as possible.”
