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Disaster Advice Glossary
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Disaster recovery and restoration can be veiled in mystery to the many who have not undertaken specific training. This glossary explains technical terms to assist both report writing and the understanding of those technical terms so often misunderstood.
Definition
| Actinomycetes: |
A group of soilborne bacteria that are mould-like in appearance. These organisms are sometimes found in flood-contaminated buildings. (The characteristic musty smell of wet/damp soil comes from compounds released by this group of bacteria). Education Note: a) Soilborne bacteria and mould in flooded buildings usually consist of dirt, mud and/or silt. And when removed, most of the bacteria and mould-like smells on top of hard surfaces will go away with detergent washing, rinsing, disinfecting and fast drying. b) The presence of soilborne bacteria and mould-like odours will not go away in porous building materials that have come in contact with the flood water. These materials must be removed and disposed . The remaining building materials must be detergent washed, rinsed and thoroughly dried, then inspected for additional damage. c) In particular, actinomycete bacteria produce similar smells to some fungi, and they appear under the microscope structurally similar to certain fungi. See Saprophytic Fungi |
| Addendum or Addendum to the Contract: |
A term, phrase or paragraph of the contract, which alters or changes specific portions of the contract. An addendum may be an addition, deletion or modification of a particular contract provision. See Change Order |
| Addition: |
A term, phrase or paragraph of the contract, which modifies the contract to add items in the contract through a change order. See Addendum, Change Order |
| Addition: |
An expansion to an already existing structure, generally an increase of floor, wall or room space that will increase the total volume of the structure. |
| Additional Living Expenses: |
In residential insurance policies, it is that portion of the insurance contract that allows for the insured to temporarily relocate, because of a damage, disaster or health consequence, caused by the dwelling from its damage. Education Note: If a covered property loss makes the residential premises unfit to live in the policy typically covers the necessary increase in the living expense incurred by the insured so that the insured can maintain their normal standard of living. The insurance policy typically pays for the shortest time needed to a) repair or replace the damaged property, or b) permanently relocate, but in no event for more than 12 months. |
| Biological Disorder: |
A change in the biological ecosystem or mass in a building due to a disturbance. Education Note: Most biological disorders in buildings are a result of a flood or some other disaster produced by water or humidity. Biological disorder can be produced from events such as sewer line and toilet overflows, where the high concentration of biological waste disturbs the random selection and quantity of resident microorganisms through the addition of non-resident microorganisms that are pathogenic. |
| Caution?Pelegro: |
An English/Spanish sign denoting the need for caution. Education Note: Caution and Caution Do Not Enter signs must be posted at every entry and exit of a building or area requiring the signs. Below the Caution word must be sufficient space to write and describe the causation or reasons for Do Not Enter. In addition, your company name and a contact name with phone number must be on the sign. Once posted, caution signs must be dated with a start date and end date of the caution. See Confined Space, Isolation, Permit Required Confined Space Entry |
| Chemical Sponge: |
A rubber cleaning sponge that has large cells capable of capturing dry particles from surfaces. As the rubber sponge is being applied on dry surfaces, the surface cleaning action debrides the outer sponge layer, exposing a cleaner surface area for additional cleaning. The chemical sponge picks up soot and captures smoke odor. Mitigation Note: The name chemical sponge, more commonly referred to by industry as a chem-sponge, possesses no special chemicals in the sponge as the name suggests. As a rubber-type sponge, it does not pick up or absorb water or chemicals easily, and it should not be used for wet-side cleaning. |
| Confined Space: |
1) OSHA 29 CFR 1910.146 - Any space large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work. In addition, a confined space has limited or restricted means of entry or exit, and is not designed for continuous employee occupancy. 2) Building environments and substructures which are known or potentially hazardous, toxic, or combustible. Health and Safety Note: Any area or zone that meet standards of a confine space or permit required confined space employees shall not enter the environment without proper training, safety and if necessary, monitoring equipment. 30 CFR Part 11.90(a). See Entry Permit, Permit Required Confined Space |
| Coverage-B Separate Structures Exclusions: |
In insurance terms, separate structures exclusion typically includes the land and the value of the land, including land on which the separate structure is located, or the costs to restore, replace, repair or rebuild land. If a covered loss causes damage to a separate structure and to the land on the residential premises, the policy disallows coverage for any increased cost to repair or rebuild the separate structure because of damage to the land. In addition, the policy does not cover separate structures which are intended for use in business or which are actually used in whole or in part for business purposes. |
| Coverage-D Loss of Use: |
The limit of insurance for Coverage-D, is the total limit for all of the following coverages: 1) Additional Living Expense If a covered property loss makes the residential premises unfit to live in, the policy typically covers the necessary increase in living expense incurred by the insured so that the insured can maintain their normal standard of living. The insurance policy typically pays for the shortest time needed to a) repair or replace the damaged property, or b) permanently relocate, but in no event for more than 12 months. 2) Loss of Rents If a covered property loss makes that part of the residence premises rented to others or held for rental by the insured, the policy may cover loss of rents less any expense that does continue during the loss period. The policy may pay for the shortest time needed to a) repair or replace the damaged property, or b) permanently relocate, but in no event for more than 12 months. Insurance Note: If there is coverage for 1 and 2 above, the time period is not typically limited by expiration of the policy. 3) Prohibited Use If a civil authority prohibits the insured from use of the residential premises because of direct damage to neighboring premises by a loss which would have been covered under the Property Section of the policy, the insurance policy may allow additional living expense or loss of rents for a defined period, which use of the property is prohibited. |
| Debris Removal: |
In insurance terms, debris removal are those materials as debris that are part of a covered claim that must be removed as part of a loss. Education Note: Most insurance policies cover debris removal expense following a loss covered under the Property Section of the policy. In some instances, if the amount of loss, including debris removal expenses, exceeds the limit of insurance, the insurance carrier may agree to pay an additional 5% of the limit of the insurance of the damaged property. |
| Hospital Sewage: |
Mostly non-regulated waste containing human sewage, blood, infections diseases and illness, and chemotherapy waste. Health and Safety Note: Hospital sewage is a health concern to plumbers who have direct contact with sewage on the premise of the hospital. It is thought and believed (by OSHA) that there are no additional health concerns to sewer employees or plumbers, who come in contact with blood potential having HBV or HCV, once the sewage and OPIM enters the main stream of the sewer system. See Commercial Sewage, Domestic Sewage, Industrial Sewage |
| Humidifier Fever: |
A respiratory disease that results in influenza-like symptoms. It is also referred to as air-conditioning fever. It is caused by exposure to toxins that are emitted by microorganisms which are aerosolized in the breathing space of persons. Health and Liability Note: A particular concern is contractors who aerosolize surfaceborne dusts and organic waste into the air, especially when ongoing biological growth or smell is apparent in air. The water damage contractor must ask all persons exposed to dusts, fungi and micro-pollutants during building drying, to leave the effected building area until the building is dried, dehumidified, sanitized and returned back to its pre-loss state. In addition, the employees of the remediation contractor must wear appropriate PPE. See Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) |
| Lien Release: |
A legal document, as per State Codes, which spells out the release of a lien on a property. In addition, no employer is allowed to sign away an employees rights to a Mechanic's Lien, if the employee has not been paid by the employer. Legal Note: In California under the Labor Code 206.5, no employer shall require the execution of any release of any claim or right on account of wages due, or to become due, or made as an advance on wages to be earned, unless payment of such wages has been made. Any release required or executed in violation of the provisions of this section shall be null and void as between the employer and the employee and the violation of the provisions of this section shall be a misdemeanor. See Conditional Waiver & Lien Release, Non-Payment of Insurance Claim Debt, Unconditional Waiver & Lien Release |
| Non-Payment of Insurance Claim Debt: |
Non-payment of insurance claim debt, is by an insured who receives payment from an insurance carrier [or a loan, as a construction loan] for your services, and the insured does not pay you for those services, or situations where the insured cashes the draft or check, with the intent of using the money for other purposes. They are in violation of most state penal laws. Legal Note: In California for example, section 484 of the California Penal Code, says, ...any person who receives money for the purpose of obtaining or paying for services, labor, materials or equipment, and willfully fails to apply such money for such purpose, by either willfully failing to complete the improvements for which funds were provided or willfully failing to pay for services, labour, materials or equipment provided incident to such construction, and wrongfully diverts the funds to a use other than that for which the funds were received, shall be guilty of a public offense and punishable by fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars (10,000), or by imprisonment in the state prison not exceeding five years, or in the county jail not exceeding one year, or by both such fine and such imprisonment if the amount diverted in excess of one thousand dollars ($1,000). If the amount diverted is less than one thousand dollars ($1,000), the person shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. In addition, California Penal Code 484 says, any person who submits to a false voucher to obtain construction loan funds and does not use the funds for the purpose for which the claim was submitted, is guilty of embezzlement. |
| Other Insurance: |
In insurance policy management and claims settlement, other insurance is additional or secondary insurance that applies to the same loss. It is against the law to collect on the same loss by two separate insurance company policies. The other insurance clause in an insurance policy directs settlement between two or more insurance companies, where each company will agree to settle and pay a particular portion of a loss to equal 100% of the claim. |
| Phase 4, IAQ Diagnosis: |
If Phase III is not completely satisfactory, then a reassessment of the building and occupant concerns is necessary. Additional testing about other issues are important, to state what are the remaining issues? Once old and new problems have been identified and isolated, mitigation should again be completed with follow up analysis |
| PrismProbabilistic Evaluation: |
The name for an insurance loss managed repair program between participating contractors and Crawford & Company. Prism is a recent acquisition and subsidiary of Crawford & Company. The Prism program is said to provide to contractors a competitive edge by training contractors in business and loss management, and the daily routine of running an emergency service and restoration business. In addition, Crawford & Company recent involvement and purchase of Prism, is meant to incorporate for the contractor, Crawfords 400,000 estimated annual non-catastrophe claims where a program called Contractor Connection TM comes into play. For more information contact Prism at 800/525-7671 or www.prism-net.com. See Qirra |
| Process Safety Management (PSM): |
In OSHAs process safety management standard, it encompasses the safety concept for the chemical manufacturing industry, to properly and safely manage and manufacturer chemicals. Along with the PSM profile, manufacturers have the responsibility to provide with each product produced, a label of ingredients, care and application. In addition, a material safety data sheet (MSDS) will be provided with the manufactured product. See Material Safety Data Sheet |
| Prohibited use: |
If a civil authority prohibits the insured from use of the residential premises because of direct damage to neighboring premises by a loss which would have been covered under the Property Section of the policy, the insurance policy may allow additional living expense or loss of rents for a defined period, which use of the property is prohibited. |
| Risk-Based Corrective Action (RBCA): |
Corrective actions that include parts or all of the Tier-1-3 Evaluations. In addition, RBCA is the integration of the site assessment, hypothesis modeling, remedial action selection, and monitoring with appropriate risk and exposure assessment practices. RBCA methods creates a process by which corrective action decisions are made and are consistent in such a manner as to protect human health, mitigation employee health, and the environment. |
| Secondary Sampling Strategy: |
Once the primary sampling strategy has been conducted and completed, and if additional investigation is necessary, a secondary sampling strategy is authorized, sometimes on the same day as the primary sampling strategy. Education Note: Depending on the results of the primary sampling strategy, testing will be conducted. Laboratory sampling and real-time monitoring of the environment, both to the inside and outside areas of the building are completed. See Environmental Audit, Environmental Assessment, Phase-II, Primary Sampling Strategy |
| Sheer Wall or Sheer Panel: |
A secondary support wall material attached to building framing, usually made of 4' x 8' sheets of plywood that complies with local building codes. Construction Note: Shear wall materials are designed and engineered to reduce the shear-stress on a building due in part to load factors, usually from the second and third floor weight loads effecting a wood frame building. In California, shear walls are being added in new construction for increased stress due to earthquakes. Mitigation Note: In water damage mitigation, sheer walls increase the need for additional problem investigation and problem solving when shear walls are present. Shear walls trap in the standing water and moisture vapor, not allowing the excess increased vapor pressure to escape within a reasonable period of time before fungi starts to grow. Wet shear walls cavities will not easily divulge that the interior wall cavities are wet and damp, since the face of the drywall may actually indicate is dry. Wet shear wall, wall cavities will not dry out on their own before mold starts to grow. After removal of the base coving, drill weep holes and aeration holes in drywall and through the shear wall, into the wall cavity. Force in dehumidified air into the wall cavity and monitor the wall cavity drydown. |
| Static Pressure: |
In water damage mitigation, it is the absence of dynamic dry air pressure. Restorative Drying Note: a) Static pressure results in the continuance of wet building materials receiving additional damage, which under some circumstances, could have been eliminated. b) Wet wall cavities with insulation for example, are static and often will not dry on their own without some form of dynamic pressured air movement. Health and Safety Note: c) Leaving wet walls and wall cavities static, with high humidity present, causes the growth of fungi, resulting in secondary building damage and compromised occupant health. See Eddy Current, Cyclone Effect, Dynamic Pressure, Sick Buildings, Turbidity Air Currents |
| Time and Material: |
One acceptable job calculation and billing method of the charges of a job. The charges usually include the man-hours and a labor rate, subcontractor charges, material costs, rental equipment costs, dump and disposal fees, and after tabulation, the addition of an acceptable overhead and profit. |
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The Disaster Advice Glossary operates on TechMerit Technoloy.
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