News: Now Comes the Clean-Up - Stay Safe when Removing Storm Debris

(Oct. 30, 2012) - Loudoun County officials remind residents to use caution or seek professional assistance when removing fallen trees, cleaning up debris or using equipment, such as chain saws.

• Wear eye goggles while removing or cleaning up debris to prevent eye injuries. 
• Wear earplugs or protective headphones to reduce risk from equipment noise. 
• Equipment such as chain saws may cause ringing in the ears and subsequent hearing damage. 
• If you must use a chain saw, follow the instructions to be safe. Wear a hard hat, safety glasses, ear plugs, thick work gloves, chaps, and boots. Always hold the saw at waist level or below, and make sure that others remain far away.

Special attention is needed to avoid back injuries associated with manual lifting and handling of debris and building materials. To help prevent muscle and bone injury:

• Use teams of two or more to move bulky objects. 
• Avoid lifting any material that weighs more than 50 pounds. 
• If you have a medical condition, consult with your physician before doing any work.

If debris is on private property and does not pose an extraordinary threat to human health and safety, removal of the debris is the responsibility of the property owner. If debris is too large, property owners may need to hire a debris removal contractor. Before hiring anyone, they should check with their insurance company to find out if their policy covers debris removal.

If debris is to be picked up by a trash removal service, property owners should make sure that debris piles do not block the right-of-way; obstruct fire hydrants or utility meters; or block drains or ditches which can cause a risk of flooding.

To get the latest information on the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in Loudoun County, sign up for alerts from the county including emergency information, news releases, traffic information, and more through Alert Loudoun at www.loudoun.gov/alert; follow Loudoun County on Twitter at www.loudoun.gov/twitter ; and on Facebook at www.loudoun.gov/facebook. Important information from the Loudoun County government is also posted on www.loudoun.gov and www.loudoun.gov/hurricane.

Loudoun County residents who have questions related to the storm may call the Loudoun County Information Hotline at 703-737-8300.