Mold and Water Restoration Awareness

Mold and Water Restoration Awareness
By: Rachel Haversat

Let’s face it; mold has been around since the beginning of time.  Legend has it dating back to 323 B.C.E. of Alexander the Great being buried in honey for its antimicrobial assets. However, the first true documented research on mold only started in the late 19th century by Carnelly, Haldane & Anderson who theorized that mold played a vital role between social classes and felt various diseases were a direct result from poor air quality.

So what is Mold? Mold is a fungus that has roughly 100,000 known visible and invisible species worldwide. Mold’s optimizing room temperature is between 32 and 122 F.  Becoming conscious of mold and how to protect yourself and your business is vital to your overall wellness and professional sustainability.  An important question you have to ask yourself is what is the standard procedure for identifying, treating, and/or restoring my property? Below are some key details on mold and water restoration classifications and how to protect yourself this upcoming rainy season.

According to The IICRC S520, (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification) , defines mold as, “A common term for filamentous fungi, often seen as superficial or “wooly” growth of long chains of fungi cells formed on damp organic materials. Toxigenic fungi may produce a potentially harmful substance called mycotoxin.” Mold thrives in damp, moist areas, and has a preference for humid environments.  Indoor examples at risk would be wood-framed construction properties, a leaky roof, AC sweating, indisposed, aged foods or any remote object directly or indirectly interconnected with moisture.  Outdoor examples could be damp, shaded settings, unkempt debris such as trash or dead animals, and/or ponds and wooded areas. Please visit http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldcourse/ for any questions, concerns and resources you might have concerning mold.

Just like any other growing mechanism, mold is dependent on air and water to survive. Listed below are the three standard water categories that water restorators follow showing mold severity and common illustrations for each.

• Category 1 is the least threatening of the three. This category is non-life-threatening water contact with humans. Examples such as an overflowing tub, sink or of melting of ice or snow.
• Category 2, formally known as grey water, is a basis of contaminated water with high levels of biochemicals that can cause illness or irritation when tampered with. Examples of a category 2 threat would be contaminated toilet water, overflowing dishwasher or machine washer fluids.  
• Category 3 water damage or “black water” is polluted, germ-infested water that if ingested could cause serious health concerns. Samples like gutter water, and a backed up sewer drain to name a few are a high risk of hazardous molds and toxins.

Safety Tips and Removal Handling

• It is imperative that ALL employees comply with the all safety regulations during the removal process. Also, be aware that your provider implements all safety measures including health guidelines and standards such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the IICRC (Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification). You can visit http://www.osha.gov/dts/shib/shib101003.html for more regulation guidelines.  
• Finally, don’t leave out your basic instincts. Using the olfactory and visual senses is essential to alerting you of any suspicious areas of concern. Moreover, if you or anyone on site is experiencing insistent health problems that appear to be related to mold exposure, you should seek out medical attention, preferably a physician who is trained in occupational/environmental medicine or related specialties and are knowledgeable about these types of exposures. Having effective communication with your provider is crucial to a fast, cost- efficient remediation job.

Insurance policies may or may not include mold coverage in the event of a mold situation.  If your building is currently at risk for property loss, mold, and/or you have any insurance coverage questions, please contact Chip Storm at 813.865.0528. If ever in the need of an inspection or restoration job, we recommend Rainbow International and Cleaning of Tampa Bay. Rainbow International specializes in the field of water, fire, smoke, and mold, 24 hours a day seven days a week.

IS YOUR SECURITY PLAN IN PLACE FOR THE HOLIDAYS?

Is Your Security Plan In Place For The Holidays?
By: Chip Storm

It’s that time of year again – Thanksgiving this week, Christmas next month, and we’re closing out 2011 on New Years Eve.  While your business may be closed and employees taking a few days off, the crooks will be working full-time to target great opportunities for their own gain at your expense.

Cargo theft increased by 4% in 2010, reflecting an average of 75 cargo theft incidents per month.  This is the most ever recorded; equivalent to one theft every 9.7 hours.  A new trend is for criminals to steal several pieces of equipment during one incident because they know the payoff will be greater and the risk of being caught is the same whether they steal one rig or five rigs

Remember, “Freight at rest is freight at risk!”

Below are some recommendations to consider.

General:

• Review security procedures with affected employees and remind them of the importance of “sticking to the plan.”
• Review your alarm response procedures in case your alarm system is activated.  Have your communicated your policy to local law enforcement?  Do employees know their roles?
• ESPECIALLY during the holidays, the crooks want you and law enforcement to be lazy and not follow typical protocol following alarm activation.  If you have had any recent alarms, they might have been a “test” to see what response, if any, there is after activation.  Get any concerns fixed now before the holiday weekend.

When Staging Equipment:

• Stage loads at secure company yards whenever possible, but ensure that secure lots used are truly secure and offer services that will prevent theft or unauthorized access.  An extra secure compound should be provided for cargo of high value or cargo that is attractive to thieves (for example, the compound should have a chain link fence of 9-gauge material at least 8 feet high and topped with barbed wire and it should be properly anchored).
• Employ the use of Security Patrols in lots where cargo might be staged for transport.
• Keep loaded trailers married to tractors and secure tractors with devices like air cuff locks, kill switches, king pin locks, and landing gear locks.
• Use high security locks on trailer doors to prevent break in thefts, and consider installing a sensor to alarm the driver when the trailer door is breached (available here http://www.traklok.com).  Traklok provides real physical security and global visibility for highly mobile cargo and containers.  To protect against container tampering, TrakLok has developed an intermodal and international container locking solution and integrated several wireless technologies to track containers globally.
• Consider using theft prevention devices to disable fuel, hydraulic, or electrical systems.

 

When On the Road:

• Close truck doors before pulling out into open view in the lot so that surveillance efforts cannot see what has been loaded on to departing trucks.
• If you do have deliveries scheduled during the holiday weekend, especially if you transport high-value commodities, be sure drivers do not stop from time of departure for at least 200 miles – this is called the “Red Zone;” the distance wherein the driver does not stop after pick-up.)  Drivers should be rested, fueled and all personal needs taken care of so the red zone can be effectively implemented.  NOTE: §392.9 requires a stop for cargo inspection within the first 50 miles and every 150 miles or three hours thereafter if hauling anything other than a sealed load.
• Encourage open internal communications and the reporting of any “out of norm” occurrences.
• Drivers should remain vigilant and maintain communication with their dispatch during extended stops at high risk areas such as truck stops and rest areas.
• Drivers and warehouse workers should not discuss any details regarding loads with anyone; specifically drop locations, routes and contents, if known.
• Consider a no drop policy keeping the trailer married to the tractor so that the tractor and trailer can be secured.

 

Additional Security:

• For High Value / High Target Loads consider employing the use of covert tracking devices which will enable geo fencing during stops and tracking in the event of a theft.  Employ theft prevention devices to disable fuel, hydraulic, and/or electrical systems.
• Shippers that utilize covert tracking systems should geo-fence and route fence staged loads.
• Consider installing AGPS (Assisted GPS) trackers in loads or in trailers where possible (available here http://www.lojacksci.com ).
• Remove keys from forklifts in warehouses and restrict access to the keys.
• Be sure lighting is well maintained and functional so that the facility and lots are well lit.

Remember, your preparation and vigilance helps us in the battle against cargo and equipment theft; a tremendous expense to us all.  

Be safe during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Eve holiday weekends!

PREPARE FOR THE END?

Prepare for the End?
Chip Storm

 

I was at a stop light the other day and a guy was standing on the corner with a sign bellowing “Prepare for the end” and it got me thinking about work.  With only a month left in the 2011 Hurricane season, we can take a collective deep breath nothing catastrophic has occurred.  One thing we should not do is become complacent.  Since the storms in 2004 and 2005 I have seen complacent behavior with businesses’ in respect to disaster planning and mitigation.  The best time to prepare and plan for a property loss is before it occurs.

 

Total property losses are rare, in fact, most property losses are partial losses to a structure.  Fire and water damage losses are by far the most prevalent.  Many losses occur due to a neighbor having a property loss and your property becomes impaired due to their loss.  The other factor coming into play is Murphy’s Law.  Most property losses occur in the evening or on the weekend.  Here are a few ways to become prepared:

 

• Develop a business continuity plan and put it in writing. It is important to identify the key elements of keeping your business functioning.  Some key items are alternative work sites/facilities, alternative vendors, key employee contacts and clients.  Also, it is important to develop a timeline of what to do and when immediately after a loss.
• Prescreen property restoration companies.  Establish a relationship with a firm who can respond immediately to a loss.  This way they will be familiar with your company and the property.  Once a loss occurs your recovery team will know who to call no matter what hour the loss occurs.
• Employee contacts.  Develop a call tree so employees can stay informed and safe.
• Update and drill.  It is important to update the plan periodically to maintain the credibility of the information.  Also perform an informal drill so all team members know what to do in the event of a fire, hurricane or other type of loss.  The plan is no good if no one knows what to do.

 

Business continuity and disaster planning are often a neglected part of an organization’s risk management program.  I hope the tips above have given you some ideas for developing your own plan.  If you would like a template, please contact me at cstorm@oswaldcompanies.com