Showing posts with label indoor air quality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label indoor air quality. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
Indoor Air Quality Television Posts Foreclosed Property Video
Indoor Air Quality television (IAQTV) on you tube just posted an excellent informational video on "Foreclosed Properties & Indoor Environmental Risks". This video provides a basic informational warning on the potential indoor environmental risks in buying a foreclosed property.
Many of these dangers are well-known to those of us in the indoor environmental consulting industry. Future Environment Designs strongly recommends before the purchasing of a foreclosed property (one that has been unoccupied for a long period of time), that the buyer hire a Council-certified Indoor Environmental Consultant (CIEC) to perform an indoor environmental assessment to ensure these dangers are not present or can be easily eliminated. The CIEC will be able to help you determine what would be necessary to eliminate these hazards and help develop cost estimates to be used in negotiating a purchase price of the foreclosed property. If we can help give us a call.
Thursday, December 08, 2011
OSHA Issues Hazard Alert for Hair Salon Owners & Workers?
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| Image via Wikipedia |
Formaldehyde is a colorless, strong-smelling gas that presents a health hazard if workers are exposed. You can be exposed to formaldehyde if you breathe it into your lungs, if it gets into your eyes, or if it is contained in a product that gets onto your skin. You can also be exposed accidentally if you touch your face, eat food, or drink after using a product containing formaldehyde without first washing your hands. It can irritate the eyes and nose, and cause coughing and wheezing. Formaldehyde is a "sensitizer," which means that it can cause allergic reactions of the skin, eyes, and lungs such as asthma-like breathing problems and skin rashes and itching. When formaldehyde is in a product that gets sprayed into the eyes, it can damage the eyes and cause blindness. It is also a carcinogen.
It is important to realize that though the product may be labeled as formaldehyde free, formaldehyde might be listed as methylene glycol, formalin, methylene oxide, paraform, formic aldehyde, methanal, oxomethane, oxymethylene, or CAS Number 50-00-0. All of these are names for formaldehyde under OSHA's formaldehyde standard. There are also chemicals, such as timonacic acid (also called thiazolidinecarboxylic acid) that can release formaldehyde under certain conditions, such as those present during the hair smoothing treatment process. Formaldehyde can be released from hair smoothing products that list any of these names on the label and workers can breathe it in or absorb it through their skin. Workers can be exposed to formaldehyde during the entire hair straightening process, especially when heat is applied (e.g. blow-drying, flat ironing).
As a salon owners, you must follow the
OSHA formaldehyde standard if a product contains formaldehyde or any of the chemicals mentioned above, this would include:
- Give employees appropriate gloves and other personal protective equipment (e.g., face shield, chemical splash goggles, chemical-resistant aprons) and train them on how to use this equipment while mixing and applying the products;
- Explain to workers how to read and understand the information on a product's label and MSDS;
- Make sure the workplace has eye and skin washing equipment if products that contain formaldehyde could be splashed onto the workers’ skin or into their eyes;
- Train workers how to safely clean up spills and properly throw products out; and
- Get workers the right medical attention (e.g., doctor exams) if they develop signs and symptoms of an exposure to formaldehyde or are exposed to large amounts of formaldehyde during an emergency (e.g., a large spill).
Monday, October 31, 2011
Total Environmental & Safety Blog Post - Discusses Economic Prosperity
Thursday, September 08, 2011
Future Environment Designs Sponsors Vapor Intrusion Video
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
EPA Issues Press Release On Reducing Asthma Attacks During Summer
Image via WikipediaThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns that hot weather can cause ozone levels to rise, making the air unhealthy to breathe, especially for people with asthma or other respiratory ailments. Throughout the hot summer months, it’s important to pay close attention to the air quality. Like the weather, air quality can change from day to day or even hour to hour, and can have a serious affect on people’s health. The Air Quality Index uses a color-coded system to display whether the five major air pollutants exceed air quality standards for the day. When the Air Quality Index reports unhealthy levels, people, particularly asthmatics and others with respiratory ailments, should limit strenuous outdoor activities.
During the summer when ozone levels rise, the number of people with asthma related symptoms admitted to hospitals and emergency rooms increases. Asthma rates – especially among children – have increased dramatically. Asthma affects 25 million people in the United States, including seven million children. That’s 8 percent of the population. One out of every 10 school-aged children is affected. In addition to talking with health care providers, these steps can help prevent an asthma episode:
- Play it safe. Ground-level ozone and particle pollution can make an asthma episode even worse. Look for the Air Quality Index (AQI) during the local weather report or go to EPA’s website http://www.airnow.gov
- Don’t smoke in the home. Take it outside. One of the most common asthma triggers in the home is second- hand smoke. Take the EPA ‘smoke-free home’ pledge: http://www.epa.gov/smokefree
- Break the mold. Mold is another asthma trigger. The key to controlling mold is controlling moisture. Wash and dry hard surfaces to prevent and remove mold. Remove, and if possible replace, moldy ceiling tiles and carpet. For more see EPA’s website: http://www.epa.gov/asthma/molds.html
For information on EPA’s regional asthma program and other asthma triggers please see: http://www.epa.gov/asthma/awm
To hear an audio podcast about asthma: http://www.epa.gov/region2/mediacenter/podcast.html
Related articles
Monday, June 27, 2011
OSHA Updates Indoor Air Quality Guide
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Ventilation Blues from Indoor Air 2011
This video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQvioz3VENE is from the Indoor Air 2011 Conference in Austin Texas where Rosie Flores plays a song written for the conference by Rosie Flores and Bud Offermann called the "VENTILATION BLUES." An excellent song and very entertaining. Hope you enjoy it.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Inexpensively Handling IAQ Problems in Schools
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Asbestos Article in Indoor Environment Discusses Cross Issues with Radon
In the March 2011 issue of Indoor Environment Connections, Douglas Kladder the Director of the Center for Environmental Research & Training in Colorado Springs, Colorado wrote an excellant article regarding asbestos. Being on the asbestos side of the fence, it is interesting how sometimes we get tunnel vision in dealing with indoor air quality/environmental issues. Mr. Kladder article "Asbestos? What Asbestos? I'm a Radon Guy!" discusses the dangers of tunnel vision. Mr. Kladder discusses that their are few activities involved in radon mitigation that would not impact asbestos containing materials. He then provides several war stories of issues related to this topic. In many ways the same statement can be made to those of us in the asbestos field. We tend to get tunnel vision regarding asbestos and forget that lead, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) or, even for that matter, radon may also be a concern. For example, lead paint could be on asbestos siding or asbestos spackles/joint compounds, and window caulk, in addition to containing asbestos, may also contain lead and/or PCBs. It is important for indoor air quality/environmental professional to keep abreast of the field and to consider the potential possibilities of various environmental hazards being present.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Possible Outbreak Of Legionellosis At The Playboy Mansion?
Image via WikipediaThe Los Angeles Times reported on Monday, February 14 that the Los Angeles County health officials said that 170 people have fallen ill with a possible outbreak of legionellosis or Pontiac fever after attending or working at a fundraiser at the Playboy Mansion and potentially other areas, but they do not believe the outbreak has spread beyond those associated with the event. The event held on Feb. 3 DOMAINfest Global Conference in Santa Monica, affected people "with symptoms mostly consisting of fever, chills, general discomfort (malaise) and some cough," according to a statement by the LA County Department of Public Health.According to the LA Times, it was not clear how soon investigators could determine whether the illness is legionellosis, a milder form of Legionnaires' disease caused by a bacterium that grows in warm water and can take root in hot tubs or parts of air-conditioning systems, according to the CDC.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
CDC Warning About Carbon Monoxide Poisoning,
Thursday, February 17
, Newsday published the following news story; "Cops: Accident kills couple in their beds." The news story is about a Garden City couple being poisoned by carbon monoxide from their car that they left running in the garage. This tragedy could have been prevented if the carbon monoxide detector was working in the couple's home. Image via WikipediaCarbon Monoxide (CO) is a deadly killer that kills more than 400 people in the U. S. every year. CO is found in fumes produced by portable generators, stoves, lanterns, and gas ranges, automobiles, or by burning charcoal and wood. CO from these sources can build up in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces. People and animals in these spaces can be poisoned and can die from breathing CO.
The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. People who are sleeping or who have been drinking alcohol can die from CO poisoning before ever having symptoms.
, Newsday published the following news story; "Cops: Accident kills couple in their beds." The news story is about a Garden City couple being poisoned by carbon monoxide from their car that they left running in the garage. This tragedy could have been prevented if the carbon monoxide detector was working in the couple's home. Image via WikipediaCarbon Monoxide (CO) is a deadly killer that kills more than 400 people in the U. S. every year. CO is found in fumes produced by portable generators, stoves, lanterns, and gas ranges, automobiles, or by burning charcoal and wood. CO from these sources can build up in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces. People and animals in these spaces can be poisoned and can die from breathing CO.Important CO Poisoning Prevention Tips:
- Change the batteries in your CO detector every six months. If you don't have a battery-powered or battery back-up CO detector, buy one soon.
- Never use a gas range or oven to heat a home.
- Never leave the motor running in a vehicle parked in an enclosed or partially enclosed space, such as a garage.
- Never run a motor vehicle, generator, pressure washer, or any gasoline-powered engine outside an open window, door, or vent where exhaust can vent into an enclosed area.
- Never run a generator, pressure washer, or any gasoline-powered engine inside a basement, garage, or other enclosed structure, even if the doors or windows are open, unless the equipment is professionally installed and vented. Keep vents and flues free of debris, especially if winds are high. Flying debris can block ventilation lines.
- Never use a charcoal grill, hibachi, lantern, or portable camping stove inside a home, tent, or camper.
- If conditions are too hot or too cold, seek shelter with friends or at a community shelter.
- If CO poisoning is suspected, consult a health care professional right away.
Related articles
Friday, February 18, 2011
Indoor Environment Connections Discusses Fungal Infection
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| Air Ducts Are the Lungs of the Building |
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Asthma Control Study Indicates a Home Visit Strategy is Successful.
Image via WikipediaIn a study published in Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, and Pulmonology (Volume 23, Number 2, 2010) called “Home Is Where the Triggers Are: Increasing Asthma Control by Improving the Home Environment” by James Krieger, MD, MPH discusses effectiveness of a home visit strategy. A home visit strategy should include an environmental component that addresses multiple triggers. Visitors assess home environmental conditions, tailor education on how to eliminate triggers to the client’s sensitization status and exposures found in the home, provide trigger reduction resources (eg, vacuums, cleaning supplies, bedding encasements and referral to smoking cessation), help with cockroach and rodent integrated pest management, make minor repairs and provide social support. An important part of the strategy is that visitors build trusting relationships with clients, thus enhancing their effectiveness in motivating behavior changes. These home visits reduce exposure to triggers, decrease symptoms and urgent health-care use, and increase quality of life. Home visit program cost per client ranges from $200 to $1500 based on the type of home visitor and the intensity of the intervention. However, a cost-effectiveness analysis concluded that these home visits have a return on investment of 5.3 – 14.0 and a cost of $12 - $57 per symptom-free day gained. It is important to note that the annual cost of inhaled fluticasone (220ug) is approximately $1567. The study discusses the Seattle-King County Healthy Homes program as an example of a successful program.The study also talks about the strong evidence that links exposure to allergens commonly found in homes such as those derived from dust mites, cockroaches, rodents, molds, and pet dander, to sensitization and subsequent asthma incidence and morbidity. Exposure to indoor allergens is widespread, with >92% of homes containing sufficient concentrations of at least one allergen in dust to cause symptoms in sensitized individuals and 46% with exposure to three or more. In addition to allergens, other indoor asthma triggers include tobacco smoke, nitrogen oxides from combustion devices, irritants from volatile organic compounds, and fungi.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Big Businesses Causing More Problems For The Economy.
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| Like water flows, a business' cash must also flow steady & strong |
The New York Times article "Big-Business Deadbeats" highlights one of the biggest problems with the economy that, as far as I am concerned, is not reported about enough.
The article discusses how Cisco Systems announced..."effective March 31, 2010, Cisco announced to its small business suppliers that as a rule Cisco would wait sixty days after receipt of an invoice — or net 60, in business jargon — before cutting a check. The reason Cisco gave for this new policy was not that it was hard up: the company has nearly $39 billion of cash on its balance sheet, and in the third quarter of 2010 alone it spent $2.7 billion to repurchase its own shares. Rather, the corporation explained that it had been “benchmarking against our technology peers” and found a precedent for “new payment terms.” In other words: Everyone is doing it, so we are too."
As a small business owner myself, the issue of payment terms and how it efffects our cash flow cannot be emphasized enough. In the consulting business the time it takes to get paid is the hardest part of being in business. You perform a service and then have to wait 45 to 60 to 120 days to be paid for that service. During that period of time you had to pay your employees, if you got good terms you may have had to pay your suppliers and the overhead (phones, office space, etc.) is owed every month on the dot. How do you pay for all of these things without payment from the client? Which brings me to the second biggest problem with the economy - the lack of small business loans to handle this cash flow crunch. The big banks got a bail-out but they were not forced to maintain the credit lines to the small business owners that were running their business on these credit lines. Many of these credit lines were closed and shut down forcing businesses to use non-traditional sources as their credit lines (credit cards with high interest rates, etc.). I am not an economist, but in running my business if I don't have the flexibility to smoothen out the cash flow problems I face, then I can not hire someone even if I need to hire someone. If the government wants small businesses to start hiring again, then they need to address the lack of small business loans that are available for small businesses. They need to force banks to reduce the standards they are setting to get a loan. In addition, the government wherever possible should reduce the time period it takes to pay their suppliers, consultants, providers, etc. Reducing this time period would increase the cash flow to small businesses helping these businesses better handle the current economy and possibly allow them to start hiring.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
CDC Website Has Indoor Safety Tips Regarding Winter Weather
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| Snow at Brewery Ommegang |
- Use fireplace, wood stoves, or other combustion heaters only if they are properly vented to the outside and do not leak flue gas into the indoor air space.
- Never use a charcoal or gas grill indoors—the fumes are deadly.
- Never leave lit candles unattended.
- Keep as much heat as possible inside your home.
- Check the temperature in your home often during severely cold weather.
- Leave all water taps slightly open so they drip continuously.
- Eat well-balanced meals to help you stay warmer.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Mold Complaint Dismissed
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| Water-damaged ceiling tiles is an indication of a moisture control problem |
In a motion for dismissal, however, School Board attorney Wendell Waller noted that the school system had not been indifferent to Hood’s medical condition. The response states that the school’s management had allowed Hood to put a dehumidifier in her classroom and frequently inquired as to her condition. The School Board also retained a professional company to inspect Hood’s classroom for mold. The assistant director for facilities and planning also inquired about Hood’s past medical condition and her symptoms, inspected the classroom for mold and took air samples.
The school division also had Hood’s classroom cleaned thoroughly several times and was willing to transfer her to a middle-school position teaching seventh-grade math, but Hood was licensed only up to sixth grade.
“The facts alleged … fail to meet the strict ‘shock the conscience’ standard because the defendants did not ignore Hood’s complaints but did in fact take steps to remedy conditions in Hood’s classroom,” the motion for dismissal stated.
This case shows it is important for facility directors to take the concerns of individuals complaining about indoor air quality seriously. Facility directors should implement an indoor air quality management program to ensure you document all that was done to resolve the indoor air quality complaint.
Friday, January 07, 2011
NYS Toxic Mold Task Force Completes Final Report
- assess and measure, based on scientific evidence, the adverse environmental and health effects of mold exposure, including specific effects on population subgroups at greater risk of adverse effects;
- assess the latest scientific data on mold exposure limits;
- identify actions taken by state and local government and other entities;
- determine methods to control and mitigate mold;
- and prepare a report to the Governor and Legislature.
- health effects of molds in indoor environments;
- exposure limits and assessment of mold in buildings;
- approaches to mold mitigation and remediation;
- building codes, regulations and other actions taken by other governments and private-sector organizations that relate to building mold problems.
- Since mold problems in buildings are preventable with proper building construction, maintenance, and housekeeping aimed at preventing excess building dampness, mold exposure is preventable.
- Overabundant growth of any mold or other dampness-related organisms is undesirable and can be addressed by removing contaminants and correcting water problems. Whether or not exposure to mold toxins is likely when mold growth occurs in a damp building does not substantially change the need for mitigation of the water and mold problem.
- Continue to improve building code requirements that address building design, construction techniques, and property maintenance so that they prevent or minimize the potential for water problems to occur.
- The presence and power of the code enforcement official (CEO) can also help minimize the potential mold problems in buildings when approving construction documents, during construction inspections of new buildings, and when issuing property-maintenance violations related to moisture conditions in existing buildings during required inspections.
- Regulating the mold assessment and remediation service industry is dependent upon how desirable it is to have persons poperly trained and following acceptable protocols. The main public health goal of any regulation or additional guidance to the mold industry will be to reduce the potential for mold exposures and the risk of health effects in damp buildings. Costs for such a program can range from $150,000 for using already developed general recommended work practices and certification programs to $4.5 million per year for a full regulatory program like the NYS asbestos program.
- The development of reliable, health-based quantitative mold exposure limits is not currently feasible.
- Their is limited evidence of the benefits of chemical disinfectants or encapsulant treatments for mitigating or preventing mold growth on building materials.
- The main approach to mold control and mitigation should be focused on identifying and repairing water damage in buildings and removing mold source materials. This method of mitigation is less complicated to implement than mitigation based on attaining a numerical clearance critertion, because the main goal is to return the building to a clean and dry condition.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Study Indicates Increase in Risk of Childhood Leukemia Based on Living Close to Heavy-Traffic Roads.
Image via Wikipedia A recent study published in Environmental Health Perspectives called "Road Traffic and Childhood Leukemia: The ESCALE Study (SFCE)" indicated an increased risk of childhood leukemia among children that lived close to heavy-traffic roads. Published in Environmental Health Perspectives on December 8, 2010, the research used the national registry-based case-control study (ESCALE) carried out in France. Over the study period, 2003-2004, 763 cases and 1681 controls less than 15 years old were included and the controls were frequency matched with the cases on age and gender. The study showed acute leukemia was significantly associated with estimates of traffic nitrogen dixode (NO2) concentration at the place of residence greater than 27.7µg/m3 compared to NO2 concentration less than 21.9µg/m3 and with the presence of a heavy-traffic road within 500 meters compared to the absence of a heavy-traffic road in the same area. The basic conclusion of the study was that it supports the hypothesis that living close to heavy-traffic roads may increase the risk of childhood leukemia. This study obviously has significant implications for children living near heavy-traffic roads (i.e., the Long Island Expressway) and the indoor air quality where they live. This puts even more emphasis on reducing the emissions from the vehicles that travel these roads.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
5 Easy Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality - My Money (usnews.com)
Image by kqedquest via FlickrThe garage as far as we are concerned is one of the most dangerous areas of the home. Between the car, tool, and chemical storage it can have various items that by themselves would have significant impacts on indoor air quality. Individually, cars can impact air quality with the carbon monoxide they produce that can infiltrate the home, tools, depending on what powers them, can also have the same effect as a car or can generate contaminants like sawdust, silica, asbestos or other hazardous vapors, and chemical storage by itself can generate volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other hazardous vapors and mists. The above article points out various ways you can improve your air quality and the ideas are excellent.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Floorings Affect on Indoor Air Quality
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| Mold growing on wood tacking under carpeting. |
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