Emergency Flood and Sewage Decontamination
Related SafeGroup Service:
Emergency Flood and Sewage Decontamination – Major Supermarket Chain
Project Overview
Sector – Retail
Service – Emergency Flood and Sewage Decontamination
Incident – Major sewage flood caused by a burst water main
Location – North London
Objective – To restore hygiene and operational readiness within 24 hours
The Challenge: Managing Biohazard Risks in a High-Volume Retail Site
SafeGroup received an emergency call-out from a major supermarket chain in North London following a significant flood incident. A burst water main nearby caused thousands of litres of water to pour into the store, contaminated with raw sewage, creating a severe biohazard risk for both staff and customers. The flooding affected the main retail floor, back-of-house storage areas, and staff facilities.
Key priorities included:
- Biohazard Mitigation
- Hygiene Restoration
- Operational Speed
- Commercial Protection
Our Response: Immediate Mitigation and Specialist Sanitisation
SafeGroup responded immediately, with an emergency flood response team arriving on-site within four hours of the initial call. Our team deployed high-capacity water pumps to clear the standing water from all affected areas. Once the water was removed, our biohazard specialists carried out an intensive decontamination and sanitisation programme.
This involved using industrial-grade biocides to neutralise pathogens and bacteria introduced by the sewage. We also utilised specialised drying equipment to remove moisture from the building’s fabric, preventing long-term structural damage or mould growth. To prioritise business continuity, our teams worked through the night, coordinating closely with store management.
The Outcome: Rapid Reopening and Structural Integrity
Our rapid intervention secured several key outcomes to ensure the store was restored to full operational readiness:
- Rapid mobilisation within hours of notification
- Overnight recovery protecting trading revenue
- Full contamination control and waste removal
- Specialist tanker extraction for complex confined spaces
- Air quality management and structured drying programme
- Store returned to pre-loss condition as quickly as possible
“Safe Group are a trusted supply chain partner to our business, supporting specialist and emergency cleaning services across our portfolio. Safe Group provide rapid effective solutions. Evidencing commitment, expertise, and flexibility, with attention to detail, they have been instrumental in delivering a successful outcome for us and that of our clients. ”
“I've worked with SafeGroup for a number of years now, for a variety of services from flood responses, sewage spills, commercial or high-level cleans, and upholstery cleaning. I've always found their service excellent, always providing a swift response when we need them, and a great quality of work too. ”
“SafeGroup delivers specialist and reactive cleaning services across the M&S estate, covering both food and department stores. We rely on their service nationally across a combined 1000+ store list. SafeGroup offers a genuine partnership approach, through bespoke management systems and dedicated personnel. It is constantly seeking to improve and overdeliver. From floor and carpet cleaning to emergency flood or sewage response cleans, SafeGroup delivers an end-to-end service that ensures we are operational and compliant. Its quality of work is backed up by its communication and reporting. This is testament to our successful and continually growing partnership.”
“We have been working in partnership with Safegroup for approximately 3 years now. We have developed the account over the past few years and have found Safegroup very easy to deal with. They have supported us on numerous disasters and always delivered works to a high standard. Communication has always been great throughout. It’s piece of mind knowing we have their support whenever required.”
