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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Exposure Concerns Following a Fire in a Multifamily Residential Building |
Millions of people across the United States live in multifamily residential buildings. These include apartments, town houses, row houses, condominiums and other tenement properties. Unfortunately, fires in multifamily residential buildings happen all too frequently. In fact, the National Fire Data Center reports that multifamily residential building fires accounted for an estimated 109,700 reported fires each year from 2013 to 2015. During those years, cooking (74% of fires) was the leading cause of multifamily residential building fires. Of the cooking fires, 93% were small, confined fires with limited damage.
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Clark Seif Clark (CSC)
800.807.1118
SERVICES:
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The bad news is that even when a relatively small fire takes place, smoke can impact other units throughout the building as it travels through shared walls, ceilings, attics, hallways, elevator shafts and other open spaces.
“There are hazards associated with structure fires even after the flames have been extinguished. Fires leave behind a wide variety of indoor environmental quality or IEQ concerns,” said Derrick A. Denis, Vice President of Indoor Environmental Quality for Clark Seif Clark (CSC). “Building materials and contents can be directly damaged, or burned, by the heat of fires, which results in the need for restoration. The application of fire suppressants, such as water, can directly impact building materials and contents, which results in the need for water mitigation. Further, residues of combustion like soot, ash and char, and residual odors must be remediated. Failure to properly respond to any of the direct aspects of a fire (burn damages, water damages, combustion residues and smoke odors) will result in a site that is not returned to a pre-loss condition.”
Additionally, fire suppression efforts and/or water infiltration from breaches in the building envelop can lead to secondary damages, such as the growth of mold. Response actions to a fire must consider regulated building materials, such as asbestos and lead based paint that were damaged by the fire event or will be disturbed by the remediation and restoration efforts. Asbestos and lead are federally regulated and they present a hazard to workers and returning building occupants. Be careful not to underestimate the complexity of a fire restoration response and the impact on the quality of the indoor environment for workers and eventually returning occupants.
Dedicated to helping building owners, managers and tenants faced with these challenges are the building science and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) professionals at CSC. They provide post-fire inspections, environmental testing and consulting services to identify smoke and water damage, odors, mold, lead-based paints, asbestos-containing materials and other potential hazards. CSC has even sponsored an educational video about IEQ concerns following a fire in a multifamily residential building that can be seen below:
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To learn more about this or other building science, indoor air quality, environmental, health and safety services, please:
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Protecting Workers from Exposure to Acrylonitrile and Other Chemical Hazards
The Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR) describes acrylonitrile as a colorless, liquid, man-made chemical with a sharp, onion- or garlic-like odor that can be dissolved in water and evaporates quickly. It is used in many industries to make various plastics, rubbers and chemicals.
Exposure can be harmful to the eyes, skin, lungs and nervous system reports the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). NIOSH also states that it may cause cancer. Routes of exposure could include inhalation, skin absorption, ingestion, skin and/or eye contact with the level of exposure depending upon the dose, duration and work being done. Some examples of workers at potential risk of acrylonitrile contact include:
- Workers involved in the manufacturing of acrylic fibers and plastics
- Employees who work in the coatings and adhesive industries
- Workers in the manufacture of other chemicals like adiponitrile
- Factory workers producing nitrile rubber products
“The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has also concluded that acrylonitrile is possibly carcinogenic and California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) added it to the list of chemicals known to the State to cause cancer for purposes of Proposition 65 all the way back in 1987,” said Zahid Iqbal, MPH, CIH and Technical Director at Clark Seif Clark (CSC). “This is why NIOSH and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have established occupational exposure limits for the workplace.”
To help eliminate or mitigate exposure risks involving acrylonitrile and many other occupational hazards, the industrial hygiene and environmental professionals at CSC offer testing, monitoring, consulting and training services. CSC has even sponsored an educational video about acrylonitrile and potential exposures that can be seen below:
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To learn more about this or other occupational, environmental, health and safety testing 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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