Recovery: What to do after volcanic activity

Be careful driving as the reduction in visibility from airborne ash may cause accidents. This danger is compounded by ash covering roads. Not only are road markings covered up, but thin layers of ash are very slippery, reducing traction. Thick deposits of ash may make roads impassable, cutting off communities from basic supplies.

It is important to clean up ash promptly from homes and neighbourhoods, as it is a potential health hazard and can cause damage to buildings and machinery. Be aware that:

• Ash clean-up is physically demanding and time-consuming. You may require assistance with ash clean-up and disposal.
• Repeated cleaning or multiple clean-ups may be necessary.

Water restrictions will likely be in force after ash fall. Use water very sparingly to avoid depleting treated water supplies.

Follow advice and instructions from your local council and your local Civil Defence Emergency Management Group.

Further information on how to clean up ash is available on the International Volcanic Ash Impacts website.

Cleaning up ash indoors

Always work safely when cleaning up ash indoors:

• Wear a properly-fitted P2 or N95 mask. All cleaning activities lift fine ash into the air, which is a breathing hazard.
  • Be aware that masks can make breathing more difficult for some people. Speak to your doctor if you are unsure if you should wear a mask.
  • Masks do not fit smaller children well, so may offer little protection. Keep children away from ash clean-up.
  • Further information on how to fit a dust mask correctly is available on the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network (IVHHN) website.
• Wear goggles without side vents.

• Do not wear contact lenses, because trapped ash can scratch your eyes. Wear glasses instead.

Any ash indoors should be cleaned up promptly to protect indoor air quality:

• The best cleaning methods to prevent scratching damage are vacuuming and rinsing (using water sparingly). Do not wash ash down drains.
  • Clean carpets and soft furniture by vacuuming.
  • Clean hard surfaces, including floors, by rinsing with water or by blotting with a damp cloth. To avoid scratching, do not wipe surfaces.
  • Clean electronic equipment such as televisions, phones and tablets by vacuuming or with an air duster. To avoid scratching, do not wipe surfaces.
  • Clean clothing, bedding, tablecloths and rugs by shaking ash outside. Then, when there are no water restrictions, wash in small batches using plenty of water and detergent.
• Wash ash off fruit and vegetables before eating.

Cleaning up ash outdoors

Always work safely when cleaning up ash outdoors:

• Wear a properly fitted P2 or N95 mask. All cleaning activities lift fine ash into the air, which is a breathing hazard.
  • Be aware that masks can make breathing more difficult for some people. Speak to your doctor if you are unsure if you should wear a mask.
  • Masks do not fit smaller children well, so may offer little protection. Keep children away from ash clean-up.
  • Further information on how to fit a dust mask correctly is available on the International Volcanic Health Hazard Network (IVHHN) website.
• Wear goggles without side vents.

• Do not wear contact lenses because trapped ash can scratch your eyes. Wear glasses instead.

• Wear protective footwear, gloves and long clothing, and a hard hat if working on a roof.

Wait until ash has stopped falling, and you have cleaned up indoors, before starting any outdoor clean-up.

• Cover open drains so ash does not enter drains.
• If your roof catchment water supply system has first-flush diverters, clean these out.
• Small amounts of ash will be removed naturally from your roof by wind or rain, but any ash remaining on your roof after approximately a week should be removed, to prevent corrosion damage to roofing materials.
• Roof clean-up must be carefully planned and only done if you can do so safely as it is highly hazardous. Many injuries and some fatalities have occurred while clearing ash from roofs, either due to falling or roof collapse. You should do your own risk assessment to see if it is safe to clear ash from your roof. Suggestions to make working conditions safer:

• • Make sure there is a safe access point to the roof.
  • Avoid electrical hazards such as power lines.
  • Be aware that roofs may have reduced capacity due to ash loading.
  • Be aware that ash-covered surfaces are slippery.
  • Do not work on steep roof sections.
  • Avoid any weak sections of the roof such as skylights or Perspex panels.
  • Isolate the area below the roof cleaning work to protect people on the ground from falling debris.
  • A broom is usually the best method for cleaning your roof. Sweep the ash off the roof onto the ground.
  • When piling ash on the ground, don’t block building entry and exit points.
  • Further information on working on roofs is available on the WorkSafe website.

• Clean the outside of your house (e.g. windowsills) by sweeping ash off with a brush.
• If it can be done safely, clear ash gently from solar panels using soapy water and a soft brush. Using a long-handled window-cleaning brush may be a good option.
• For air intakes on heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems (including heat pumps), vacuum or gently blow away excess ash from air intakes. Then wipe down with a cloth.
  • Remove filters before cleaning.
  • Avoid cleaning with water as this may increase clogging of radiator fins. Wet ash is also conductive, so this increases the risk of short-circuiting.
  • Wait until all outdoor areas are clear of ash before turning on HVAC systems.
• Clean outdoor areas. For driveways and other hard surfaces, lightly wet the surface of the ash then use a broom to sweep up. Avoid dry sweeping, as this can create high levels of airborne ash, but be careful not to soak the ash, as this will make it very heavy and difficult to remove and can cause serious damage to your roof and gutters.
  • Shovels, buckets and wheelbarrows are useful for moving ash. Ash is very heavy, so don’t overload these.
  • Be very careful cleaning near to electricity insulators – supply outages can be caused from insulator flashover by ash contamination and water.
• Try to coordinate clean-up with your neighbours and community, where practical.

Follow instructions about ash disposal, storage and collection from your local council and local Civil Defence Emergency Management Group.

• Do not dispose of ash into drains. It will cause blockages and will be very difficult to remove.
• Do not dispose of ash in your regular rubbish collection. Ash will make rubbish bags and bins too heavy to collect and does not need to be disposed of in landfills.
• Dispose of small amounts of ash (a few millimetres) on your own property by spreading (e.g. raking) thinly over your lawn and garden, where possible. Rainfall, or a light sprinkling of water, will help mix the ash into the soil.
• Wash all fruit and vegetables carefully. Keep all food clean and protected. Ash should not be ingested. You can dig ash into vegetable gardens, in most cases. However, as the chemical composition of ash varies between events, wait until event-specific official advice is available, based on the results of ash analysis.
• For large amounts of ash, contact your local council or your local Civil Defence Emergency Management Group for ash collection instructions.

• If you are not connected to mains water and your supplies allow, you may prefer to use wet clean-up methods.
• It may be possible to remove small amounts of ash (a few mm) from roofs using a hose while standing on the ground.
  • Disconnect downpipes from gutters to prevent soak pits becoming blocked with ash.
• For large ash falls, rural households will need to dispose of ash on their own property. When identifying suitable sites and methods for ash disposal, consider:
  • Is there shelter from wind? Windblown ash may cause ongoing problems.
  • Can the ash dump create a new hazard? When fine ash covers soil and reduces infiltration, it can cause increased runoff and flooding when it rains. Consider location in relation to waterways and water sources used for drinking water.
  • Deposits can be stabilised by covering the ash with a layer of soil, gravel, lawn clippings, old hay, and/or crop stubble, then fertilising and seeding to encourage vegetation cover.

• If you have ash on your roof and you did disconnect your downpipe from your rainwater tank, wait until rain washes ash from roof, or you clear the ash from your roof, before reconnecting downpipe to your tank.
• If you have ash on your roof and you did not disconnect your downpipe from your rainwater tank, disconnect the downpipe now to protect your tank water. Wait until rain washes ash from roof, or you clear the ash from your roof, before reconnecting the downpipe to your tank.
• If there is ash in your rainwater tank, use your emergency water for drinking and preparing food until official advice is provided, based on the results of volcanic ash analysis and/or water testing.
  • You can continue to use your tank water as usual for all uses other than drinking and preparing food.
  • In most cases, small amounts of ash (a few mm) are unlikely to make water unsafe to drink but may give the water an unpleasant metallic or sour taste. Over time, fresh rainfall will dilute the chemicals from the ash and improve water quality.

If your water system uses pumping, check that the tank outlet is well above the ash settled in the bottom of the tank so that ash does not get drawn into pumping equipment where it may cause damage.