Fire Damage Recovery & Decontamination For Superdrug
Related SafeGroup Service:
Fire Damage Recovery & Decontamination
Project Overview
Sector – Retail
Service – Fire Damage Recovery & Decontamination
Incident – Major fire resulting in widespread soot contamination throughout industrial facility
Location – UK
Objective – To safely restore operational areas and reinstate 50% of the facility within 7 days
The Challenge
A significant fire incident within a large industrial unit resulted in widespread contamination across high-level steelwork, roofing sheets, and all operational areas below. Fresh soot deposits were compounded by years of embedded dust and debris, creating a complex decontamination environment.
The situation was further constrained by:
- Full power isolation across the unit
- Requirement for safe access to extensive high-level areas
- The need to maintain strict health & safety controls in a contaminated environment
- A critical operational deadline to return part of the facility to service within 7 days
The scale of contamination, combined with the urgency of reinstatement, required immediate mobilisation and a carefully engineered response.
Our Response
Initial instruction was received on Bank Holiday Friday.
Within hours:
- Site attended, assessed, and quotation issued
- Detailed, site-specific RAMS developed and approved the same evening
- Labour, plant, and specialist equipment mobilised immediately
Given the loss of on-site power, a temporary infrastructure was designed and implemented, including:
- 200KVA generator installation
- Standalone distribution board with segregated breakers for each machine and MEWP
- Safe, controlled power supply to enable simultaneous high-level operations
By Saturday morning, a full 24/7 operation was established.
Delivery included:
- Dual 12-hour shift patterns maintaining continuous progress
- Multiple MEWPs operating simultaneously across high-level areas
- Large-scale deployment of specialist technicians
- Zoned working to manage clearance, extraction, and decontamination phases safely and efficiently
Scope of Works
- High-level soot extraction from roof sheets and structural steelwork
- Low-level soot and particulate removal across all accessible surfaces
- Clearance of fire debris and underlying historic contamination
- Full wet decontamination of all internal surfaces
- Heated jet washing of structural steelwork and concrete floor areas
The presence of layered contamination required a structured and methodical approach to ensure complete removal while maintaining safety and compliance throughout.
The Outcome
- 24/7 recovery operation successfully established within 24 hours of instruction
- Complex temporary power infrastructure implemented to enable uninterrupted works
- Large-scale, coordinated decontamination delivered across the facility
- Programme on track to return 50% of the unit within 7 days
- Enabling the client to safely resume critical operations within a highly compressed timeframe
Summary
This project demonstrates the ability to rapidly mobilise, engineer, and deliver large-scale fire damage recovery under significant operational constraints.
Through detailed planning, specialist resource deployment, and continuous operations, a complex and time-critical environment is being returned to service safely, efficiently, and at pace
“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.”
Commercial Fire Damage Restoration & Cleaning Services UK
