A Story from the Field: The First Morning Back in the Records Room

Khun Arunee heads the medical records department at a mid-sized private hospital in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district. The records room sits on the ground floor behind the outpatient building. Inside are long rows of mobile steel shelving packed with patient history files, cabinets of health insurance paperwork, a document scanner and the desks where her staff work. The hospital moved to electronic medical records several years ago, but there is still a large archive of paper files for older patients and documents that must be kept under hospital policy and regulation.

When water from the Pa Sak and Chao Phraya rivers flooded the old city island in 2026, hospital staff managed to move some of the most frequently used files upstairs. But the water rose faster than anyone could move everything. Files on the lowest level of the mobile shelving sat underwater for several days, and the shelving rails filled with mud.

On the first morning after the water went down, the first thing Khun Arunee noticed as she stepped back into the room was the smell: a heavy mix of damp mustiness and wet paper that made her reach for a mask immediately. The lower walls were marked by a water line and patches of greenish-black mold. Files on the bottom shelves had swollen and stuck together. Even files higher up, which had never touched the water, were starting to show white mold spots along their spines. One of her staff members, who has asthma, began coughing the moment she walked in.

"We were worried about two things at once," Khun Arunee said. "First, the health of the staff who have to work in this room every day. Second, the patient information we are responsible for. If we bring an outside company in to clean, we need to be sure the documents are safe and nobody touches the data." That is the brief World Health Disinfection has heard from several hospitals and clinics in Ayutthaya since the water receded.

Why a Flooded Records Room Is an Urgent Problem

Paper absorbs moisture readily, and it is food for mold. Document rooms tend to be closed spaces with little air movement and files packed tightly together. When flood moisture lingers in a room like this, mold can start growing within days and spread from the files that were underwater to files that were never wet at all.

Staff Health

Records staff handle files all day long. Mold spores released from the files cause sneezing, itchy eyes and coughing, and can trigger allergies and asthma. The flood mud left in the shelving rails and the corners of the room can contain bacteria such as E. coli and the Leptospira bacteria that cause leptospirosis. Staff should use protective equipment in line with the guidance of the hospital's infection prevention and control unit. This article is general information, not medical advice.

The Wider Hospital Environment

A records room connects to corridors and patient service areas. If the room still holds musty air and mold spores, it can affect the atmosphere and air quality of nearby spaces where patients with weakened immunity and older people pass by every day.

Disrupted Services

When staff cannot work in the records room, retrieving older files, issuing medical certificates and processing insurance paperwork all slow down. That affects patients directly and puts pressure on the hospital's administration.

Responsibility for Personal Data

Medical records are sensitive health information. The room recovery has to be planned so that no outside contractor needs to open, read or handle files. Sorting and moving documents is the job of hospital staff, following the hospital's own policies.

Common Fixes That Miss the Root Cause

• Wiping moldy files with alcohol or bleach: Liquid soaks the paper again and makes ink run, and bleach destroys documents outright.
• Running fans over files in a closed room: Fans speed up drying, but they also carry spores from moldy files to every corner of the room.
• Painting over water stains straight away: A wall that is still wet inside will blister, and the mold will come back.
• Using air freshener to cover the smell: The mustiness remains, and some fragrances are unsuitable in areas used by patients with allergies.
• Pushing damp files back onto shelving that is still wet: Mold then spreads down the whole row, and rails still holding mud remain a source of contamination.

The WHD Solution: We Work on the Room, the Hospital Looks After the Records

World Health Disinfection (WHD) restores medical records rooms and document stores with a clear division of responsibility. Hospital staff sort and move every file in line with hospital policy. Our team does not open, read or handle patient documents. Our job is to make the room, the shelving, the rails, the walls, the floor and the air clean and free of odor.

We use our disinfection fogging service with CHEMGENE HLD4H through ULV equipment on the room's surfaces and on shelving that has been emptied, and our ozone treatment service, with the dose controlled, to deal with airborne mold spores and the musty odor held in walls and ceilings. Before any work begins, we coordinate with the hospital's infection prevention and control unit, the facilities team and the medical records department.

For files that were submerged or have stuck together, the hospital should consider a specialist document recovery service, such as controlled drying or freezing before drying, which is work for document recovery professionals. The hospital should also follow its own rules on the retention of medical records and those of the relevant authorities.

How the Work Is Done

1. Planning meeting with hospital teams: We agree on the scope, the time the room will be empty, access routes and a contact person for each department.
2. Hospital staff remove the files: Files are separated into submerged, damp and dry groups following hospital guidance. The room must be empty of documents before fogging and ozone treatment.
3. Mud removal and initial cleaning: Mud is cleared from the shelving rails, under the shelves and in the corners, with workers wearing full protective equipment.
4. Equipment protection: Computers, scanners, printers and network equipment are moved out or fully covered, and an electrician should check the wiring before anything is switched on.
5. ULV disinfection fogging: CHEMGENE HLD4H is fogged across floors, walls, steel shelving, rails and desks, and given the proper contact time.
6. Controlled ozone treatment: The room is sealed, air paths connecting to other areas are closed as directed by the facilities team, and the generator is set for the room size.
7. Ventilation and re-check: The room is ventilated until the ozone has fully broken down, odor and humidity are checked, and the room is handed back so the hospital can return dry, clean files to the shelves.

Hidden Problem Spots in a Records Room

Mobile shelving rails: Mud and water stay in the rails for a long time, making shelves stiff to move and creating a source of germs. Wash the rails thoroughly, let them dry and include them in the fogging.

Ceilings and air-conditioning: Moisture rises and collects in the ceiling and inside air-conditioning units. Have a technician clean the units and inspect any ceiling panels that have swollen or stained.

Corrugated document boxes: Boxes that were submerged or damp should be replaced with new boxes or lidded plastic containers, because corrugated cardboard holds moisture and smell for a long time.

Staff rest rooms and nearby toilets: Include them in the fogging plan. If there is carpet or upholstered seating, consider our dust mite removal service as well.

Mosquitoes around the building: Standing water around the hospital after the flood means more mosquitoes. Our mosquito fogging service can treat the grounds as the hospital directs.

What Floodwater Leaves Behind in a Document Room

It is easy to think of a flood as just water, but by the time it reaches a ground-floor records room in the old city, it has picked up silt from the river, runoff from roads, overflow from drains and sometimes sewage. When the level drops, that load does not leave with the water. A thin film of fine silt settles on every horizontal surface: the floor, the base of the shelving, the inside of the rails, the bottom of cabinets and the tops of skirting boards. That film can hold bacteria, and once it dries it can become dust that rises every time a shelf is moved. Behind wall panels and under floor coverings, water can stay trapped for weeks, slowly feeding mold that is invisible from the room. Ceiling voids absorb humid air rising from below. This is why a records room that looks clean after a quick mop can still smell musty a week later, and why a thorough recovery treats the surfaces, the air and the hidden spaces rather than only what the eye can see.

A Practical Triage for Records Staff

Because the hospital handles the files, it helps if the records team has a simple way to sort them quickly. Many departments find three groups useful. The first group is files that were submerged or are wet through. Keep these apart from everything else, ideally in sealed bags or crates in a cool area, and contact a document recovery specialist as soon as possible, because the speed of response affects what can be saved. Do not open stuck pages, do not use heaters and do not wipe them. The second group is files that are damp or smell musty but were not underwater. These can often be dried in a clean, well-ventilated space with gentle air movement, spread out rather than stacked, while staff watch for any new mold spots. The third group is files that are dry and unaffected. Keep them boxed and away from the first two groups until the records room has been cleaned, disinfected and ventilated. Label each crate clearly and keep a simple log so nothing is lost while the room is out of use. Staff handling any of these groups should wear gloves and a mask suited to mold exposure.

Questions to Settle Inside the Hospital Before Work Starts

A smooth recovery depends on decisions only the hospital can make, so it helps to settle them early. Who will authorize access to the room, and who from medical records will be present when our team arrives? Where will the files be kept while the room is treated, and how will that temporary space be secured and kept dry? Which files go to a document recovery specialist, and who signs off on that decision under the hospital's retention rules? Does the room share air-handling with patient areas, and how will the facilities team isolate it during ozone treatment? Which days and hours have the least impact on patient services? And who will confirm, after the re-check, that the room is ready for files to return? Having these answers written down means the work itself can usually be completed quickly, with fewer surprises for everyone involved.

After the Room Is Handed Back: The First Month

Treatment is not the end of the job. For the first few weeks, the walls and floor of a flooded room may still be releasing moisture, so it pays to keep an eye on conditions. Keep the air-conditioning or a dehumidifier running steadily rather than switching it off at night. A simple hygrometer on the wall gives staff an easy daily reading of humidity. Return files gradually, starting with the driest boxes, and leave a little space between boxes on each shelf so air can move. Ask staff to report any new musty smell, discoloration on walls or spots on file spines straight away. If moisture is still coming out of the walls after a couple of weeks, the cause usually needs a building fix, such as repairing a damaged wall lining or ceiling, before a follow-up ozone treatment will have lasting value. Recording these checks also gives the hospital's quality team clear evidence of how the room was recovered.

10 Reasons Records Departments Choose WHD

1. A clear division of roles: hospital staff handle documents, and our team never opens, reads or touches patient files.
2. We coordinate with the infection prevention and control unit and the facilities team before starting.
3. We use CHEMGENE HLD4H on room surfaces and emptied shelving.
4. Our ozone treatment is controlled, and the room is isolated so ozone does not reach patient areas.
5. ULV fogging reaches mobile shelving rails, under shelves and corners that cannot be wiped by hand.
6. Computers, scanners and network equipment are moved or covered before work begins.
7. We schedule work outside service hours so hospital operations are not disrupted.
8. No fragrance is used to mask odors, which suits areas used by patients with allergies.
9. The CHEMGENE 750 ml spray is available for frequently touched points such as shelving handles and counters.
10. The Master Ozone Generator is available for hospitals that want equipment to maintain document rooms long term, with guidance on safe use.

In the Department Head's Words

"What put our minds at ease was that the team told us from the start they would not touch the files at all. Our own staff moved the documents out, and they took care of the room. They also coordinated with our infection control team before starting. When we got the room back, the musty smell was mostly gone, and our colleague with asthma could sit and work in there again."
— Head of medical records at a private hospital in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya (a story from the field)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Will your team see or handle patient information?
A: No. Hospital staff remove all files before work begins, and our team works only in a room that is empty of documents.

Q: Can the files be ozone-treated together with the room?
A: We recommend removing documents first. For files that are dry but smell musty, the hospital can discuss further options with our team, using a controlled dose and time, and never for documents that are still wet.

Q: What should we do with files that were submerged?
A: Consider a specialist document recovery service and follow the hospital's medical records retention rules. Do not wipe them with chemicals or try to separate stuck pages while they are wet.

Q: Do patient services have to stop?
A: No. We schedule the work outside service hours or on holidays and isolate the area so ozone does not reach other parts of the building.

Q: How long does it take?
A: Fogging, ozone and ventilation for a typical room are usually finished within one day, depending on the room size and how much moisture remains in the walls. We will give you an estimate after the survey.

Q: Our server cabinet and scanner were in the same room. Can they stay during treatment?
A: No. Servers, scanners, printers and network switches should be moved out by the hospital's IT team or, where that is impossible, shut down and sealed under cover as the IT team directs. Equipment that was underwater must be checked by qualified technicians before it is powered on again, regardless of how dry it looks.

Q: Is CHEMGENE HLD4H suitable for use in a hospital building?
A: CHEMGENE HLD4H is a disinfectant designed for environments that need a high level of cleanliness, and we apply it to room surfaces following the product's instructions for contact time. We always share product information with the hospital's infection prevention and control unit in advance so they can confirm it fits their own protocols before work starts.

Q: Can you also treat other flooded areas such as storerooms or corridors?
A: Yes. Many hospitals combine the records room with nearby storerooms, staff areas and corridors in one planned visit, so that the whole ground-floor zone is restored at the same time and odors do not drift back in from untreated spaces.

Q: How can we stop mold returning in the document room?
A: Control humidity with air-conditioning or a dehumidifier, keep files in lidded boxes, raise the bottom shelf off the floor, and inspect the room regularly during the rainy season.

Get Your Records Room Clean and Safe for Staff Again

Talk to the WHD team about restoring medical records rooms, document stores and hospital support areas for hospitals and clinics in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya. Send us the approximate size of the room, how high the water reached and the days the room can be empty, and we will plan a visit that fits around your patient services and your infection control team's requirements. Smaller clinics with a single document cupboard or storeroom are welcome to ask as well.

See Our Disinfection Service

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Call 065-556-6294 · LINE @whd268 · Email worldhealthdisinfection@gmail.com

Related Links

• Ozone treatment for odors and chemical residue
• CHEMGENE HLD4H disinfectant
• Master Ozone Generator
• All articles
• External sources: WHO: Floods and Department of Disease Control, Thailand