Hoarding can be really dangerous, especially when it comes to biohazard. There are many things in hoarded homes that can be dangerous or hazardous to the health of hoarders. Some of these things may be obvious and some of them most people would never think of, but there are almost always hazards in a hoarders home. Also, most of the time the hoarder themselves doesn’t notice or pay attention to any of the dangers in the home. To them it’s just the way of life, and they don’t think about any of it at all.
Scale of Hoarding
The scale of the hording and what type of items the person hoards affects the level of filth. These are dependent variables on the level of dangers and the amount of biohazards in the home. See more about hoarding scales and types of hoarding at What is Hoarding? – Hoarder Homes. The more things that the hoarder has, the more dangerous the situation. Hoarding animals and garbage is a biohazard and hoarding food has its dangers too. Hoarding books can be hazardous in fires, and hoarder collectors items especially can be a danger in areas where there are earthquakes. As you can see there are many things that hoarders can keep, and all of them have some kind of hazard.
Hoarding and Biohazard
Biohazards can make people sick if they are present. Animal waste is a biohazard. If the animal doesn’t have a proper place to defecate, it will do it wherever they find room. If the person’s toilet has been blocked off or broken they may use another way to dispose of waste that may not be sanitary. Old and rotting food is also a hazard. It can pile up in places and hide under other things. The smell soon becomes unbearable.
Other dangers of hoarding
Other dangers are concerns in the case of natural disasters. Books would make great kindling if they live in a place where there are fires often, or if they smoke. Collectors’ items can be problematic in an earthquake, as they are often little things that would fall. It’s even worse if the items are made out of glass or fragile materials. During an earthquake these small items would fall and possibly shatter everywhere causing sharp debris. This could lead to injury if the things fall on the hoarder’s head or if they have pets that could step on sharp or broken pieces of debris.
Therefore, a place should always be thoroughly cleaned in order to prevent the dangers mentioned above. An individual may want to consider creating a schedule to keep their space tidy. Or, those who have been hoarding can take the help of professional junk removal companies. This would help them start fresh with a clean and uncluttered home.
Safety code
As for the Los Angeles Fire Code Safety & Evacuation Standards, many things in a hoarder’s home do not meet these standards. Doors must be able to open fully in order to allow safe exit or easy entry. In many hoarders’ homes, doorways do not open fully because there is too much stuff in the way. Windows must be accessible for a healthy system of ventilation. Nothing should be stacked too high above the person’s head. This would be a concern in the case of an earthquake.
If a hoarder lives in multiple story building then weight can become an issue. These buildings are not prepared for extremely heavy loads and it is especially a problem for the first floor or people below them. If the person hordes animals, and if they ever need to evacuate, they might not be able to find all of their animals. If they have an emotional attachment to their pets they may not want to leave the building even if it is safest to evacuate. More info on safety at Safety – Hoarder Homes .
Conclusion of hoarding and biohazard
As you can see there are many hazards that come with hoarded homes. It is important that these things are not ignored so that the safety of the homeowner is not a concern.
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