DKI Partners with Biosafety USA to Oust Norwalk-like Virus in N.C.

DKI Services Corporation, a network of quality, independent property damage restoration contractors, announced that First Restoration Services, a DKI member company based in Charlotte, N.C., recently completed the cleaning and disinfection of an assisted-living facility in North Carolina.

BiosafetyUSA Inc., a DKI partner since August 2003 and the U.S. distributor of Virkon broad spectrum disinfectant, received a call in January requesting assistance in remediating an assisted-living facility plagued by a Norwalk-like virus. BiosafetyUSA worked in partnership with DKI and First Restoration Services to implement the prescribed protocol for cleaning and disinfecting the areas affected by the virus.

First Restoration Services activated a decontamination team of 25 people, performing emergency cleaning and remediation with a 2% solution of Virkon at the facility. Crews worked around the clock to limit the impact of the virus and to help assist the staff in ensuring the health and safety of its residents and guests.

Due to the unknown source and type of problem, a SARS protocol was prescribed as the decontamination method This included showering the patients in phases prior to reentry. The laundry, contents, business and personal property were cleaned and disinfected according to said protocol.

It was reportedly a distinct challenge for the contractors to phase the tasks and logistics of the project so that the facility had adequate containment and to guarantee cross contamination did not become an issue.

First Restoration Services overcame this obstacle by working with the facility staff to ensure protocols for reentry into clean areas were strictly adhered to.

This job was an extreme situation in that, both the occupants and the workers were subjected to dangerous environmental conditions that could have jeopardized their health and safety. First Restoration Services resolved this situation using the highest standards of care, the newest methods of remediation and the broad spectrum disinfectant Virkon.

The total cost of cleaning the North Carolina assisted-living facility was more than $78,000. DKI places the value of these jobs in the neighborhood of $40,000 – $120,000 for small commercial jobs to well over $1 mm for larger projects. Based on early data the job to materials (Virkon) ratio runs approximately at 20 – 1.

Because Virkon is reportedly both user- and environmentally-friendly, residents didn’t have to be displaced from the facility during the decontamination process. They were also able to reoccupy the cleaned and disinfected spaces immediately after the work was completed.

“This product is unlike anything we have ever seen on the market. Our members and the environmental professionals they work with have been extremely pleased with the effectiveness of Virkon as both a cleaner and a disinfectant. We believe that this product will become a standard in the industry,” commented Dave Garden, director of corporate programs for DKI. “We are pleased to partner with BiosafetyUSA, and to offer our members the opportunity to be a part of this cutting-edge technology. It’s just one more way that we are cementing our status in the industry as The Source for Quality Restoration.”

The Virkon product line is available directly through BiosafetyUSA at a discounted price to DKI members. Members can order by calling (954) 578-6583.

BiosafetyUSA has recommended an initial starter order of:

* V005K – 5Kg (11lb) Can
* V500G – 500g (1.1lb) Shaker Bottles (6 per case)
* V050G – 50g (1.75oz) packets (50 per box)
* V010G – 10g (0.36oz) packets (100 per box)
* V4012 – 32oz spray bottles (empty) (12 per case)
* V4112 – 16oz spray bottles (empty) (12 per case)