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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Federal Publication Provides Tips to Help Control Occupational Exposure to Mold after a Disaster
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Occupational and Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a document to help workers and employers deal with mold issues. The publication, Mold: Worker and Employer Guide to Hazards and Recommended Controls, summarizes basic procedures for mold remediation after flooding and other natural disasters with an emphasis on worker protection.
The document accurately states:
Water damage inside buildings after disasters contributes to the growth of mold. Workers exposed to mold during disaster recovery and cleanup may experience a variety of health problems. Removing mold growth and correcting the underlying source of water responsible for the mold contamination can help to reduce mold exposures and related health symptoms.
Some of the potential health effects listed that workers and building occupants could experience due to mold exposure include:
- Itchy, runny or stuffy nose
- Sneezing
- Itchy or watery eyes
- Itchy or sore throat
- Coughing and wheezing
- Severe allergic responses (e.g., rhinitis, asthma and hypersensitivity pneumonitis)
- Infections
"Hurricanes, floods and tornadoes are examples of events that are frequently associated with water damage and mold,"
said
Franco Seif, President
of Clark Seif Clark
(CSC). "However, mold issues can also be caused at any time due to plumbing leaks and related problems; ventilation issues that result in elevated humidity levels; and even from normal rain infiltrating roofs, walls, windows, crawlspaces and basements."
The mold, water damage, indoor air quality (IAQ) and building science experts at CSC have decades of experience identifying and resolving all types of mold and moisture issues. They have successfully completed countless projects in single family homes, hotels, schools, hospitals, high-rise office buildings, multitenant complexes and industrial plants. CSC also recently sponsored an educational video about the
Mold: Worker and Employer Guide to Hazards and Recommended Controls
document that can be seen here:
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| Mold: Worker and Employer Guide to Hazards and Recommended Controls |
To learn more about this or other building science, moisture, mold, indoor air quality, occupational, environmental, health and safety testing services,
please visit
www.csceng.com
, email
[email protected]
or call (800) 807-1118.
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Protecting Workers in the Recycling and Reuse Industries from Occupational Exposure Risks
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While there is no federal law that mandates recycling, many states and municipalities have introduced recycling requirements over the past several decades. Some states and cities have even enacted landfill bans on certain recyclable items and yard waste, and in some areas, government entities can fine people for including recyclable materials with garbage waste.
The end result of these efforts, public awareness campaigns and the growing green movement, has been a dramatic increase in the millions of tons of materials recycled from residential, commercial and industrial sources. This has created tens of thousands of jobs in the recycling and reuse industries, but many of these jobs come with unique exposure risks.
In fact, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports these jobs can be dangerous. According to OSHA, this is in part due to the fact that certain materials that are recycled or reused, such as scrap metal, electronics, batteries, used oil and other chemicals, have materials that directly pose hazards to workers. Hazardous exposure risks could include inhalation of ammonia and other refrigerants, capacitors containing PCBs, mercury, asbestos, synthetic mineral fibers, dioxins, lead, cadmium, nickel and other toxic metals. Workers could also be exposed to a myriad of other hazardous chemicals, combustible dusts and even components containing radioactive materials.
"Another concern is employees working in hazardous environments,"
said Zahid Iqbal, MPH, CIH and Technical Director at Clark Seif Clark (CSC). "For example, OSHA states that composting and other activities to recycle organic material can create hazardous environments which can be fatal to workers who are not aware of the potential dangers. These may include respiratory hazards such as exposure to hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide or other gases that may displace oxygen. Other inhalation risks include exposure to mold and particulate matter (PM). Over time this could cause or exacerbate occupational asthma, allergies, hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) and other respiratory conditions in workers."
Dedicated to protecting workers in these and other industries are the industrial hygiene professionals at Clark Seif Clark. Their experts
identify hazards and exposure risks to a wide range of substances. CSC offers worksite assessments, inspections, testing, air monitoring and provides training services on work practices, respirators and other personal protective equipment (PPE). CSC also recently sponsored an educational video about
potential occupational exposure risks at recycling centers and reuse facilities that can be seen here:
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| Recycling & Reuse Operations - Potential Occupational Exposure Risks |
To learn more about this or other occupational, indoor air quality, environmental, health, and safety testing and training 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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