Sanitation
Sanitation is crucial at the time of emergency. Otherwise, it can lead to many health hazards and diseases. Here are some tips to facilitate sanitation at the time of emergency.
Sanitation tips
- Sanitize all the food preparation equipments, dishes, surfaces and utensils using a mild bleach solution.
- Clean the containers by washing them in the strong detergent solution. Immerse them in water solution and mild bleach for about two minutes. You can make the solution using 5 ml / 1 tsp of bleach in 750 ml or 3 cups of water. After it, you can air dry them to prevent possible infection after the container is opened.
- Do not keep the wet items one the top of each other as there are chances of bacteria multiplication in trammeled water.
- As much as you can, continue your regular day to day hygiene activities, including brushing teeth, washing face, combing hair and washing your body using a wet wash cloth. It will prevent the infection and spread of disease. It will not only curb your irritation but also help to relieve from stress.
- Do not keep your fingers in your mouth.
- Avoid touching, preparing or handling food using your hands.
- Purify the drinking water using purification items, such as chlorine bleach, tablets or simply by boiling water for 10 minutes.
- When you see that the water lines are damaged or suspect them, do not flush the toilet.
- It is better to not to dig holes in ground as the untreated raw sewage can often pollute the fresh ground water supplies. Open excreta attracts flies and increases the spread of diseases.
- Keep a good supply of plastic bags, disinfectant, twist ties and toilet paper.
- A good antiseptic is easy to use in a solution of one part liquid bleach to about ten parts of water.
- If you can not flush the toilet, it can be used still. It is less traumatic for most of the people in comparison to using any other container. Take off all the bowl water and line it well with a plastic bag. After you are done, you can add a little amount of disinfectant or deodorant. Then it is important to tie the bag safely and then dispose it off in a big trash can and place a tight fit lid over it. Make the large trash also line with a strong trash bag. After recovery from disaster, the city will get a mean to dispose of all the trash.
- Use portable camp toilets and small trash cans or strong buckets ran along with plastic bags. The bags with tight fitting lids are best to use.
- Keep your clothes clean and dry as you can, particularly the under-clothings and socks.
- At the time of an emergency situation, if you tend to have diarrhea or vomiting, take rest and do not eat solid foods till the symptoms becomes easy. Have more and more fluids in little amounts at recurrent intervals. Later you can resume eating the semi solid foods.
Sanitation emergency supplies
- Toilet paper
- Soap
- liquid detergent
- Women supplies
- Plastic bucket with lid
- Plastic garbage bags and ties
- Household chlorine bleach
- Antiseptic or Disinfectant