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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Simple Steps to Help Protect Homes and Buildings during Hurricane Season
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June marks the beginning of hurricane season in the Caribbean and Atlantic. In the Eastern Pacific, the season began on May 15th and both continue through November 30th. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently updated the 30-year averages for the Atlantic hurricane season, increasing it to 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes. For the Eastern Pacific, the averages were not changed and remain at 15 named storms, 8 hurricanes and 4 major hurricanes.
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Clark Seif Clark (CSC)
800.807.1118
SERVICES:
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To help prepare the public, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reminds everyone that hurricanes don’t only affect people living along the coast. They can cause damage many miles from shore. If a hurricane or tropical storm is on its way, CDC recommends people get their homes ready with the following suggestions:
- Clear the yard. Make sure there’s nothing that could blow around during the storm and damage the home. Move bikes, lawn furniture, grills, propane tanks and building material inside or under shelter.
- Cover up windows and doors. Use storm shutters or nail pieces of plywood to the outside window frames to protect windows. This can help keep people safe from pieces of shattered glass.
- Be ready to turn off the power. If there is flooding, downed power lines or one has to leave their home, switch the power off.
- Fill clean water containers with drinking water in case the water supply is lost during the storm. People can also fill up sinks and bathtubs with water for washing.
- Check the carbon monoxide (CO) detector’s battery to prevent CO poisoning.
“Hurricanes and tropical storms cause billions of dollars in property damage every year, but some of this damage is avoidable. Proactive actions by property managers and owners can go a long way towards reducing both storm-related damages and storm-related health concerns,” said Derrick A. Denis, Vice President of Indoor Environmental Quality for Clark Seif Clark (CSC). “When people return to homes and businesses to conduct damage assessments, cleanup, demolition, repair and rebuilding, it’s important to recognize damaged structures have the potential to pose health and safety risks for families, workers and building occupants. Hazards associated with mold, asbestos, electrical hazards, potable water quality, sharps, and more may be present. Return to your site with safety in mind, and consider your site may require assessment or remediation by experienced professionals.”
For example, floodwaters can contain a host of microbial and chemical contaminants. Even clean rain water that enters a building can begin to allow for the growth of mold in as short as 48 hours. Legionella bacteria can also affect unoccupied, damaged buildings when stagnant water in pipes becomes colonized. Another health and safety concern relates to asbestos-containing materials and lead-based paints. Many properties were built before the use of lead-based paints and building materials that contained asbestos were banned. There are also federal, state and city laws and regulations that one must abide by when handling asbestos or lead.
Ready to help, with teams able to respond to all types of natural disasters, are the building science and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) experts at CSC. They provide building assessments, surveys and testing services to prevent exposure hazards following storm damage. CSC has even sponsored an educational video about preparing a home for a hurricane that can be seen below:
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To learn more about this or other IEQ, industrial hygiene, indoor air quality, environmental, health and safety services, please:
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Identifying and Mitigating Occupational Exposure Risks to Nickel and Nickel Compounds
Nickel is a naturally occurring element with many beneficial chemical and physical properties. Pure nickel is a hard, silvery-white metal used to make stainless steel and other metal alloys. These are used in the production of countless products for industrial, consumer, marine, aerospace, military and other applications.
It can also be combined with other elements to form nickel compounds. Nickel compounds are used for nickel plating, to color ceramics, to make some batteries and as catalysts.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports that workers may be harmed from exposure to nickel depending upon the dose, duration and work being done. Some of the occupations that could put a worker in contact with nickel or nickel compounds include:
- Refinery workers in nickel processing plants
- Jewelry and pawn shop workers who come in contact with nickel coins or jewelry
- Factory workers in plants where nickel alloys are used
- Workers who come in contact with tools and other nickel releasing surfaces
Allergic reactions to nickel are fairly common, in fact, approximately 10 to 20% of the population is sensitive to nickel according to the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR). The most common reaction is a skin rash at the site of contact. Less frequently, some asthmatics who are sensitive to nickel have an asthma attack following exposure.
“The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has determined that nickel metal may reasonably be anticipated to be a carcinogen and that nickel compounds are known human carcinogens,” said Zahid Iqbal, MPH, CIH and Technical Director at Clark Seif Clark (CSC). “The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that some nickel compounds are carcinogenic to humans and that metallic nickel may possibly be carcinogenic to humans. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that nickel refinery dust and nickel subsulfide are human carcinogens. California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment lists nickel and nickel compounds as substances known to the state to cause cancer for purposes of Proposition 65.”
To protect workers and to help keep companies in regulatory compliance, the industrial hygiene professionals at CSC offer testing, monitoring, consulting and training services to eliminate or mitigate exposures to nickel, nickel compounds and many other potential hazards. CSC has even sponsored an educational video about exposure risks to nickel and nickel compounds that can be seen below:
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To learn more about this or other industrial hygiene, indoor air quality, environmental, health and safety services, please visit www.csceng.com, email csc@csceng.com 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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