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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
| ACGIH: |
An abbreviation for the American Conference of Governmental and Industrial Hygienists Association. See AIHA, Bioaerosol: Assesment and Control |
| Aeolian Contamination: |
Matter in the form of a contaminate which is transported and broadcast through dynamic air movement. Mitigation Note: In water damage mitigation, one of the concerns comes from clean up contractors who use portable equipment to extract and clean up indoor floods. The exhaust of the equipment indoors aerosolize micropollutants which are inhaled. Another concern is the use of air drying equipment in a dusty or biologically contaminated building, or a building which has friable lead-based paint or asbestos. Caution Note: No sewage or other pathogenic waste should be extracted into portable machines when the machines are left and allowed to wxhaust indoors! See Aeolian, Airborne Contaminates, Airborne Microorganisms, Bioaerosols, Dusts. |
| Aerosol: |
A suspension of fine gases, liquids and solid droplets in air. Droplets of 0.01 to 100 microns in size, which are able to stay suspended in air from short to long periods of time, depending on size, structural configuration and weight. See Bioaerosols, Volatile. |
| Air Cleaner: |
A mechanically engineered device and filters that remove particles, fumes, vapours, pollens and other bioaerosols from the air and in ventilation systems. Education Note: Air cleaners in a building, especially commercial and high-rise buildings, have air clean filters installed on the suply side and sometimes on the return side, before pollutants enter a building conditioned air space. |
| Air Sampling: |
One of several collection methods used to capture airborne contaminates from air. Education Note: Air sampling may include charcoal sorbent sampling, filtering, vacuum extraction, water impinges, bioaerosol sampling. See Adsorbent Smapling, Smear Tab Sampling, Soil Smapling, Surface Sampling, Swab Sampling, Tape Lift Sampling, Water Sampling, Wipe Sampling, Vacuum Sampling. |
| Air Sparging: |
The use of pressurised air, forced across a surface to breakaway and strip-off settled smoke, soot, lint, dust and other surface-borne contaminates from a surface. Mitigation Note: Air sparging is a method used in fire damage and dust-down remediation to remove contaminates and pollutants. Air sparging can be used in confined ceiling and attic spaces where general cleaning and HEPA vacuuming cannot be accomplished, or are not cost effective. Education Note: Quite often air sparging is more efficient than HEPA vacuuming and surface cleaning. The equipment for air sparging includes an air compressor as pressurized air, blown across a contaminated surface and aerosolized. The aerosolized particles must not be allowed to become free in the air without being directed to a collection device, airborne particulates must be captured down stream with negative air pressure and HEPA containment equipment (bag filters). The air compressor and forced wind is to be directed towards the negative air flow and HEPA containment vacuums. Safety Caution Note: 1) Do not under any circumstances use air sparging technology to aerosolize grains, flour and any other farm product in a confined space, or at all due to the potential for explosion. 2) Do not use air sparging technology if the mitigation employess are not properly fit with PAPR-type respirators and have appropriate PPE, and the air sparging environment is not completely sealed off from non-effected areas of the building. See PAPR, PPE. |
| Airborne Contaminates: |
Vapour, gas and solid contaminates, such as fumes and emissions, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons, dusts, pollens and other bioaerosols, including bacteria, viruses, fungi and yeasts. |
| Aseptic Conscience Image: |
A heightened awareness by mitigation workers that is developed through training, maintaining appropriate health and safety at the cleanup job at all times while enforcing appropriate sanitary procedures. Aseptic conscience image includes addressing contaminated areas and non-contaminated areas, and providing appropriate steps to keep them separate. ? Mitigation Note: Surprisingly and unknowing to most black water sewage mitigation workers for example, the field of contamination amplifies and becomes larger as the cleanup progresses. This comes from dragging in and removing equipment, walking on to non-contaminated surfaces, moving contents sitting in sewage to clean or less contaminates areas, The removal of sewage saturated carpet and pad, the removal of sewage effected drywall and insulation, to the installation of airmovers before all contamination of infected building materials have either been removed or have been made aseptic, resulting in aerosolizing sewage bacteria throughout the building's environment. |
| Bioaerosol: |
a) Bioaerosols are airborne particles of biological origin including bacteria, and viruses, fungi and yeasts, pollens and organic matter. Bioaerosols also include the cell structures and spore parts of non-viable components (such as toxins). b) An aerosol containing living organisms or particles derived from living organisms such as pollen, animal dander, insect emanations, microbial endotoxins, and human skin scales. c) An airborne organic contaminant that is either generated by or is itself a living organism such as fungi, bacteria, viruses and protozoa. Education Note: Moisture-vapor and airborne contaminates from a flooded building that are forced in air from a surface, through dynamic air movement contain bioaerosols. See Aerosol, Air Movement. |
| Bioaerosols |
Biologically derived airborne particles that are living or originate from living organisms. They include microorganisms that are culturable, nonculturable, and dead microorganisms. Bioaerosols include microorganism cell fragments, cell toxins, and particulate waste products from all varieties of living things. Bioaerosols are unbiquitous in nature and may be modified by human activities. All persons are repeatedly exposed, day after day, to a wide variety of such materials. |
| Bioaerosols: Assessment and Control: |
The name of a book published in 1999 by the American Conference of Government Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) for practitioners assessing and developing mitigation strategies for contaminated indoor environments. Education Note: Other practitioners in mitigation, remediation and abatement, will find this book applicable and valuable. |
| Biological Contaminates in Buildings: |
The presence of a) biologically derived aerosols, gases, and vapours of a kind and concentration likely to cause disease or predispose persons to adverse health effects; b) inappropriate concentrations of outdoor bioaerosols, especially in buildings designed to prevent their entry; c) indoor biological growth and remnants of growth that may become airborne and to which people may be exposed. |
| Biological Particles: |
Microbial particles such as airborne dust, spores, plant and animal matter, which can cause asthma and allergies in some persons. See Bioaerosols. |
| Biologically Derived Airborne Contaminates: |
Bioaerosols, gases, and vapours that living organisms produce. Biologically derived materials are natural components of indoor and outdoor environments, but under certain circumstances, biologically derived agents may be considered contaminates when found indoors.Bioaerosols, gases, and vapours that living organisms produce. Biologically derived materials are natural components of indoor and outdoor environments, but under certain circumstances, biologically derived agents may be considered contaminates when found indoors. |
| Concentration: |
a) An expression of how much (dose) of a material, in a given amount, can be absorbed by the human body, without effecting the body or causing a reaction. b) Concentration of contaminates to humans or atmospheres, is the amount of a contaminate in concentration. Education Note: For example, concentration of contaminates in water are expressed as the mass of a contaminant per given volume, (typically one liter) of water, or as the mass of a contaminant per given mass of water; In the case of aerosols, the concentrations of aerosols (airborne solids and liquids) in air, are expressed as the mass of a substance in a given volume (typically one cubic meter) of air; In the case of vapors and gases in a given volume of air equals (volume/volume), or the mass of a material per given volume of air equals (mass/volume). |
| Conjunctivitis: |
Inflammation of the delicate mucous membrane that lines the eyelids and covers the exposed surface of the eyeball. Health and Safety Note: Exposed water damage remediation workers and building occupants, during the flood drying processes, are susceptible in acquiring conjunctivitis, especially when air movers are installed where dust, spores and debris become aerosolized. See Contact Dermatitis, Pink Eye, Rhinitis. |
| Dust: |
a) Suspended solid particles in air which settle-out in buildings through doors, windows and ventilation systems. b) An air suspension (aerosol) of particles of any solid material, usually having a particle size less than 100 micrometers(um). Education Note: a) Natural dust includes organic and inorganic particles such as soil erosion by wind which entrains into a building, and decaying organic matter and other airborne debris that feed bacteria, fungi and yeast. b) Human dust created by the sloughing of dead skin cells that feed dust mites. See Respirable Dusts. |
| Fluid: |
A gas, vapour or liquid. A fluid is not a solid, but airborne and bioaerosol particulates are lighter than air and they can travel airborne, having the ability to flow in air. |
| Full-scale Containment and Correction: |
In fungal contamination, full-scale containment and correction are the appropriate steps necessary, including those commensurate with fungi contaminated building materials having mass-amounts of visible fungi or from testing and laboratory analysis, which indicates that a particular fungi is present and is known to release dangerous toxins. In these situations full-scale containment and correction must include asbestos abatement techniques for the containment and removal of fungi contaminated building materials. (Ref: Morey, 1994; Weber and Martinez, 1996; ACGIH Bioaerosol - Assessment and Control, 1999). See Containment-Unit Cleaning and Decontamination, Critical Barrier during Fungi Abatement, Decontamination Unit during Fungi Abatement, Full-body Covering during Fungi Abatement, Full-scale Fungal Decontamination Unit, Negative Air Pressure during Fungi Abatement, Occupational Exposures during Fungal Remediation, Perimeter Area Cleaning from Fungal Contamination, Visible Fungi Contamination. |
| Full-scale Fungal Decontamination Unit: |
A decontamination unit made from PVC pipe and plastic sheeting, wood frame and plastic sheeting, or a pre-manufactured unit for employees who actively are involved at a full-scale fungal abatement work site. Typically like in asbestos abatement, the decontamination unit consists of three chambers or small shower size rooms. The rooms are: (1) as you are entering the first cubical, a donning of PPE equipment; (2) a pass-through shower; and (3) a pass-through cubical; and in reverse as you are leaving, (3) a doffing room and removal of PPE; (2) the shower; and (1) donning clean and dry street clothing. Depending on the size of the operation, there may be a separate equipment pass-through and air lock. General Mitigation Note: As mandated in asbestos abatement and decontamination, and which should be required in full-scale fungal abatement and decontamination operations, the decontamination unit is to be constructed and installed between the entry and exit of the remediation area, or between the secondary containment-unit and access to a control area. Health and Safety Note: Unlike asbestos abatement, in fungi abatement, there is no scientific evidence at present to say that the use of the shower room, is either a direct ir indirect health benefit to the worker, except possibly related to the general hygiene of the worker who most likely is saturated with sweat and they could benefit from a shower. Fungi Mitigation Note: It is recommended in the book Bioaerosols: Assessment and Control, ...during fungal abatement, that properly bagged waste can be passed directly through the decontamination unit. The bag(s) surfaces are to be HEPA vacuumed before transport into uncontaminated parts of the building. Waste bags are to be removed by the most direct exit route... and without disturbance and exposure to occupants remaining in the building]. See Containment-Unit Cleaning and Decontamination, Critical Barrier during Fungi Abatement. |
| Guidance for Removing Visible Fungal Growth: |
Industry accepted guidelines that are most appropriate for containing, controlling and removal of a visible mold contaminate. Health and Safety Note: Guidance must include the appropriate worker protection before attempting removal of a fungal contaminated material. See Bioaerosols: Assessment and Control, Local Containment, Full Scale Containment. |
| 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). |
| 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. |
| Methods of Testing: |
Acceptable industry standards and methods of testing for determining the presence/absence of a contaminate. See Bioaerosols: Assessment and Control. |
| Mists |
Aerosolized (airborne) suspended small particle size droplets of chemical and moisture vapors that linger in air for some time. Some mists are visually apparent when other particulate matter such as dusts are present in the mist, but as a water vapour alone, mists are not easily apparent. Mists are generated from the condensation of gaseous from or to a liquid state, such as by atomizing, splashing or vapourizing. See Aerosols, Bioaerosols. |
| Occupational Exposures during Fungal Remediation: |
The scientific data is limited on fungi related occupational exposures that have occurred during the remediation of fungi, but the signs and symptoms of fungal spores have been recorded. (Morey and Hunt, 1995; Ansari and Morey, 1996; Rautiala et al., 1996; Weber and Martinez, 1996). ACGIH in their Bioaerosols: Assessment and Control, 1999, mentions that decisions on what PPE will adequately protect workers performing [fungi] remediation requires experienced and professional judgement, which occupational physicians, toxicologists, respiratory protection experts, and health and safety professionals may be able to provide. Individuals employed in the extensive removal of contaminated building materials should be informed in writing by a physician of the potential health risks of bioaerosol exposure. |
| Particulate Matter: |
a) A solid material that is a byproduct of construction waste which easily becomes airborne and can be inhaled. b) An airborne dust, spore, pollen or bioaerosol which can result in asthma and allergy-like conditions when inhaled. c) A solid material that settled out of air which can easily become airborne through disturbance or increased air movement. d) Particulate matter in water, especially contaminated water, while it is in a dissolved state. e) When surface water is removed, particulate matter constitutes the insoluble sand, clay, fines and other solid matter after an outdoor flood indoors or a blackwater sewage contamination from main-line sewer backflows. The former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop warns that every day, the average persons respiratory system receives more than two table spoons of particulate matter (dust, pollen, tar, rubber, acids, metals, smoke, clutch and brake materials, bacteria, mould, and many other hazardous and allergic matter). |
| Pneumonia: |
Inflammation of the lungs due to infection. Most cases of pneumonia involve inhalation of a virus or bacteria, including Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus. Education and Health Note: a) Both bacteria of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus, are associated with dirty outdoor and indoor building environments. Buildings that have experienced a sewage contamination and aerosolization of bacteria spores, are susceptible to the Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus exposures. Staph and Strep bacteria can thrive on organic dust. b) Pneumonia is also associated with the bacteria Legionella pneumonphilia (Legionnaires disease). c) During the mitigation of sewage in a building and the cleaning of dirty ventilation systems, technicians must wear proper protective clothing and respiratory protection. |
| Quiescent: |
A state of inaction, quiet, static and complete stillness. Education Note: Sometimes environmental assessors and industrial hygienists will air sample interiors of buildings using quiescent means for determining static loads of chemicals, vapors, toxins and bioaerosols in relatively still air. |
| Source Containment: |
a) In water damage mitigation, source containment are the appropriate steps necessary, using industry a standards of care, to contain, control, and remove a contaminate. (Refer to IICRC S 500-94 and S500-99). b) In mold mitigation, source containment is one of several steps necessary to appropriately contain, control and remove mold without causing harm to workers while avoiding broadcast of the mold spores and toxins from a mold contaminated material into air. See Bioaerosols - Assessment and Control. |
| Tear Gas Exposures: |
Toxic gas exposures from police and riot-type tear gas. Health and Safety Note: Seldom will emergency response water damage technicians come in contact with tear gas. But in several instances, technicians have been asked to cleanup tear gas exposures with their cleanup equipment. No technician or adjuster should enter a tear-gas contaminated building without proper respiratory and skin protection. Health Note: 1) Tear gas can effect technicians and adjusters from ingestion, inhalation in nasal passages, and absorption on skin. 2) Seldom is tear gas considered a medical emergency or a medical concern. 3) Yet, depending on the type, concentration and severity of exposure, the health of the technician or adjuster, the health concerns may result in a immediate medical emergency. 4) Skin and respiratory reaction to airborne tear gas is almost immediate. 5) CN/CS/CR/OC tear gases residue and powders are white in color. 6) CN/CS/CR tear gas are not-stable when heated. 7) Tear gas is generally dispersed as powder-like aerosols having a chemical dispersion reactivity to an environment from their explosion. 8) Once the agents have been dispersed into a building, the agents react violently in the presence of humidity, higher temperatures, some oxidizers and a combination of factors. 9) All of the tear gas agents have low solubility in water but they can be dissolved in several organic solvents. Hydrolysis of CN tear gas for example, is very low reacting in water solution, even when alkali is added. On skin, it is best to flush continuously with cold water. CS tear gas on the other hand, is rapidly hydrolyzed in water solution , having a half-life at pH 7 is about 15 min. at room temperature (65 to 70 ?F, and 30 to 45% Rh), and react extremely rapid when alkali is added (half-life at pH 9 is about 1 min.). 10) As remediation technicians, you must be extremely careful in adding alkali substances to skin, since they can add to dermal discomfort and skin damage. Baking Soda (sodium bicarbonate) is best used as an adsorptive and cleaning agent on skin. |
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