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Top rugby club cheers flood recovery experts

Chris Macdonald - Sales Director - SafeGroup

By

Chris Macdonald

2 min read

Gloucester Rugby Club has praised CleanSafe Services for the vital part it has played in recovering from flooding that caused damage worth £700,000 at its Kingsholm stadium.

The Premier League club had been preparing for the start of the new season when the stadium was hit by a torrential storm on July 23rd, then another on July 25th.

The sheer volume of rainfall, combined some drainage problems, resulted in water entering the main stand and flooding through three floors, bringing down ceilings, and inundating rooms and corridors.

Emergency cleaning specialist CleanSafe Services mobilised a team of experienced flood recovery operatives to clear hundreds of gallons of water, and carry out a comprehensive building drying programme.

Flood recovery work “vital”

Gloucester Rugby Club Operations Manager Shaun Roberts said: “CleanSafe Services’ work was vital to our recovery. Without their drying expertise, we couldn’t start any painting and refitting.

“The run-up to a new season is always busy, but this flooding put a major strain on the club. CleanSafe Services did a tremendous job of getting us back on track. Their response was impressive.”

In a flood cleaning process that lasted two weeks, water vacuumation machines were used to suck up standing water. Walls, floors, and furniture were then quickly dried with mops, squeegees, and cloths.

flood recovery experts
Damage caused by the flooding at Gloucester RFC – CleanSafe flood recovery expertise was vital, says the club

Contaminated water risk

Stephen Savill, Business Development Manager at CleanSafe Services, said: “As flood recovery experts, we were able to step in and help straight away. It is vital that as much water is removed from all surfaces as quickly as possible.

“While most of it was rain water, it quickly becomes contaminated with mould and bacteria from a variety of sources, and higher summer temperatures and humidity can lead to rapid spore growth.

“The next stage was to get multiple commercial air dehumidifiers and air movers quickly in place to accelerate and control the drying process.

“These had to be monitored continuously. Drying too slowly can encourage mould growth, while drying too quickly can damage the building.”

Sun shines across the Gloucester RFC pitch, belying the serious flood damage caused days earlier.

Major team effort

CleanSafe Services worked closely with Shaun Roberts and the appointed loss adjuster to assess the damage and seek to minimise further losses.

Shaun Roberts said: “Having direct access to their drying expertise greatly helped the loss adjuster, our insurance company, and our building surveyor, as we all worked together on a recovery plan.

“Our first home game of the season was a month after the second storm. It has been a major team effort to have the stadium ready in time, and CleanSafe Services has played a big part in getting us across the line.”

Chris Macdonald - Sales Director - SafeGroup
About the author

Chris Macdonald

Chris has strategic responsibility for sales development and major accounts management at SafeGroup. He was a professional footballer with Southampton FC until a series of injuries ended his career while still a teenager. Chris began working as a helpdesk controller for a national FM company in 2004. By 2013 he was its managing director. From there he joined SafeGroup in 2018, bringing with him huge expertise plus the energy, enthusiasm and drive that would have surely made him a success in the Premier League. He does, however, still enjoy playing football.

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