Every day, Clark Seif Clark professionals are deployed across the nation helping both large and small customers resolve health & safety, industrial hygiene, environmental and indoor air quality issues.
At a moment's notice, Clark Seif Clark can send their experts anywhere they are needed. No matter if it's in response to a hurricane, wildfire, flood, tornado or other natural disaster, Clark Seif Clark is ready to help and can respond in no time at all.
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Asbestos, Lead and Other Exposure Hazards Encountered by Firefighters and Fire Damage Cleanup Crews
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Firefighters play a crucial role in protecting public safety and the property of people, businesses and institutions. Responding to fires and emergencies, their work can be dangerous and these dangers can include more than just flames and extreme heat.
Building fires could also expose firefighters to a number of hazardous substances. For example, the Board of Health in Orange, Massachusetts recently released a public health announcement following a large fire in an old factory. In it, people were warned that asbestos was known to be in the factory and that testing of fire debris was also positive for its presence.
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Clark Seif Clark (CSC)
800.807.1118
SERVICES:
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Back in 2013, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published the results of a large study of firefighters from three major U.S. cities. It found the population of firefighters in the study had a rate of mesothelioma, which is caused by exposure to asbestos, two times greater than the rate in the rest of the U.S. population.
“Firefighters can be exposed to numerous compounds of concern in the form of gases, vapors, liquids and particulates. Some of these chemical substances are known, or suspected to, cause cancer,” said Derrick A. Denis, Vice President of Indoor Environmental Quality for Clark Seif Clark (CSC). “Some hazards originate from the compromise of vessels containing hazards stored on site, like the melting of a bottle of pesticides or disinfectants. Some hazards are created as byproducts of combustion or burning, such as carbon monoxide. The liberation of hazardous building materials can also endanger firefighters, such as asbestos fibers, mercury or lead. Cleanup crews, investigators, demolition contractors and construction professionals sent in after a fire are also at risk for exposure. The job hazard analysis (JHA) should account for these and other hazards at a structure fire site. Carefully planned and implemented mitigation efforts should be applied, such as personal protective equipment (PPE) and decontamination procedures to keep folks safe at the site and to prevent them from bringing these hazards home.”
Even for those firefighters wearing protective clothing, known as turnout gear, if it is not properly cleaned or stored after a fire or training event, any chemicals or substances on the gear or equipment could contaminate vehicles and the fire station. Later, reusing dirty turnout gear or respiratory protection could again result in exposure to hazardous substances. These exposures can occur by skin contact with contaminated PPE or by breathing in or ingesting particles from contaminated gear.
Helping to protect firefighters and workers are the building science, industrial hygiene and environmental professionals at CSC. They provide testing, consulting and training services to identify and mitigate exposure risks associated with building fires. CSC also recently sponsored an educational video about firefighters and occupational exposure risks to dermal and respirable hazards that can be seen below:
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To learn more about this or other building science, indoor air quality, industrial hygiene, environmental, health and safety services, please:
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Identifying and Mitigating Exposure Risks to Phosphine and Other Chemicals in the Workplace
Phosphine is described by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as a colorless, flammable and explosive gas at room temperature. Small amounts occur naturally in the environment and it is also made for use in a number of industries.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) reports that phosphine is used in the semiconductor and plastics industries, in the production of a flame retardant, and as a pesticide in stored grain. NIOSH also states it is also used as a pesticide (insects and rodents) in stored tobacco and lists examples of some workers potentially at risk of being exposed to phosphine. They include:
- Factory workers that make electronics
- Workers in plants that make rat poison
- Pest control workers who use it for the control of rats
Early symptoms of acute phosphine intoxication include pain in the diaphragm, nausea, vomiting, excitement and a phosphorus smell on the breath. Higher levels can cause weakness, bronchitis, pulmonary edema, shortness of breath, convulsions and death. Some effects, such as pulmonary edema, convulsions and liver injury, may appear or continue to be present days after exposure. Long-term exposure to very low levels of phosphine can result in anemia, bronchitis, gastrointestinal effects, and visual, speech and motor problems.
“To safeguard workers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set a Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) and NIOSH has a Recommended Exposure Limit (REL) for phosphine,” said Zahid Iqbal, MPH, CIH and Technical Director at Clark Seif Clark (CSC). “At CSC, our industrial hygiene professionals are here to help companies protect workers and maintain regulatory compliance through testing, monitoring, consulting and training services for exposure risks associated with phosphine and other hazards in the workplace.”
CSC also recently sponsored an educational video about phosphine and potential occupational exposure risks that can be seen below:
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To learn more about this or other indoor air quality, industrial hygiene, environmental, health and safety services, please visit www.csceng.com, email [email protected] or call (800) 807-1118.
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About Clark Seif Clark: CSC was established in 1989 to help clients in both the public and private sectors address environmental issues. CSC is a leading provider of these services with multiple offices along the western seaboard and southwest. The company believes in science-based protocols and has a strong background in engineering making them the preferred environmental consultants to healthcare facilities, architects, schools, builders, contractors, developers and real estate professionals.
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21732 Devonshire St., Ste. B,
Chatsworth, CA 91311
800.807.1118
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