| Acute: |
Describing a sudden exposure to a significant dose of a dangerous substance. See Anaphylactic Shock, Chronic |
| Acute Exposure: |
In toxicology, the contaminate doses received over a period of 24 hours or less. Some acute exposures can result in temporary and permanent health effects while other acute exposures can result in death. Education Note: A single exposure to a toxic substance from a water damage situation, may be as a result of an exposure to airborne sewage bacterial toxins. To a water damage remediation worker, an acute exposure may include some of the chemicals that are loose in a building while being activated in solution, or some of the cleaning and disinfectant chemical they come in contact with as part of their work. |
| Acute Health Effects: |
A circumstance in which a chemical or substance results in the rapid development of severe symptoms. |
| Acute Toxic Chemical: |
A chemical substance having the ability to cause and result in an acute reaction to the chemical. While the substance has an immediate health effect, it does not necessarily mean there will be permanent adverse effects to workers who are treated shortly after an exposure. |
| Acute Toxicity: |
a) Toxicity resulting from an acute exposure. The adverse effects closely spaced in time between the absorbed dose and the toxic material. b) A substance sopoisonous as to cause severe biological harm or death soon after a single exposure or dose. |
| Adverse Health effects: |
The ability of a compound or agent to cause acute or chronic health effects. See Acute, Aeroallergens, Allergens, Chronic, Toxic, Toxins, Neurotoxins |
| Characterisation of Hazardous Liquid Waste: |
Mitigation Note: Under federal, state and local law, some waste and its constituents, once identified, are considered to be hazardous to breathe, or when coming into physical contact with them. Health and Safety Note: Hazardous waste can cause moderate to severe health effects in employees and occupants, resulting in acute and chronic health concerns. ALL hazardous liquid waste must be properly identified, contained and controlled, and only professional trained and certified persons must be allowed to contain and remove hazardous liquid waste. |
| Chemical Sensitivity: |
The acute or chronic sensitivity reaction to a chemical substance. Health and Safety Note: Chemical sensitivity can be a result of adsorption from skin contact, inhalation and ingestion. Chemical sensitivity may show itself as an allergic or asthma reaction, swelling and redness on skin, shortness of breath, laboured breathing, dizziness, stomach ache and vomiting, or a neurological disorder. |
| Chronic: |
Long term exposures, which over time will cause adverse health effects to buildings and individuals. Health and Safety Note: Exposures to contaminated building environments over months or longer, are known to result in permanent or long-lasting health impairments. See Acute |
| EHS (Extremely Hazardous Substances): |
One of about 400 chemicals listed by the USEPA under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986. Chemicals are based on there acute toxicity. Microbiological agents, even though they can be as extremely hazardous, are not regulated under this act. |
| Enteropathogenic Organisms: |
Any number of pathogenic Gram-negative bacteria capable of causing disease. Disease disorders range from mild stomach upsets to severe diarrhea and dysentery. Sickness and illness can be acute or chronic. |
| Health Hazard: |
Any chemical, mixture of chemicals, or microbiological pathogens, for which there is a statistically significant evidence based on at least one study conducted in accordance with established scientific principles that acute and chronic health effects may occur in exposed employees; Health and Safety Note: The term health hazard includes chemicals which are carcinogens, toxic or highly toxic agents, reproductive toxins, irritants, corrosives, sensitizes, hepatoxins, nephrotoxins, neurotoxins, agents which act on the hematopoietic system, and agents which damage the lungs, skin, eyes, or mucous membranes; and it includes stress due to temperature extremes. |
| Lime: |
A solid to a white powder compound made from calcium carbonate. Dolomite lime is a mined mineral. Mitigation Note: a) Lime is used in many building materials from drywall to mortar. b) Bagged lime can be used as a topical disinfectant on sewage damaged ground. It must be mulched and turned in the soil, so that no lime remains visible. c) Lime is also a good soil stabilizer in contaminated or soft soil. Health and Safety Note: Lime can cause acute and severe health concerns to workers and occupants in building if lime is broadcast sprayed or allowed to aerosolize. Lime in the presence of moisture has a dry state PH of 8, and in the presence of high humidity and moisture lime has PH of about 12.5. |
| Odour: |
An acute olfactory sensation of smell and taste at a distance. Education Note: Odors are all around us, with most odors not being recognized, unless they produce good or bad smells. Odors cause our nerve receptors to tell our brain, that they are OK to be around, and they are pleasant, or the odor is offensive, and we must not be around the cause. See Malodor |
| Sick Building Syndrome (SBS): |
A description of situations in which building occupants experience acute or chronic health concerns from building related contaminates, besides other concerns such as discomfort from thermal comfort effects. Health and Mitigation Note: The acute and chronic health complaints may be localized to a particular room or zone, or the complaints may have spread throughout the whole building. Most occupant illness and irritation from sick buildings are associated with the ventilation system. See Building Related Illness, Building Sickness from Flooding |
| Stachybotrys Mould: |
a) One genus of slime molds that are responsible for mycotoxin and satratoxin production resulting in impaired, compromised and acute health effects of persons who come in contact with or breathe in fungi-toxins. b) The species having building wetness and human contact concern is Stachybotrys chartarum, previously known as Stachybotrys arta. See Mycotoxins |
| Submicron: |
Particles and matter smaller than one micron in size. Submicron is a distance or less than one millionth of a meter. Health and Safety Note: Submicron is often used to describe particle diameter size. Submicron particles such as dust, dirt, spores, organic and inorganic substances, are easily inhaled in the lungs and bronchi, resulting in acute and chronic illness and disease. The only devise accepted by OSHA and used for employee protection against submicron particles, is a HEPA rated filter and mask. See HEPA Filtration |
| Toxic: |
Chemical, biological, gas and vapours that can cause acute or chronic damage to human biological tissue and the immune system. |