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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
| Agitation: |
The spinning or rotation of water in the form of a liquid, vapour or gas; a solid such as powder or dust; particulates suspended in the air; or disturbing the undisturbed matter on a surface. |
| Brownian Movement: |
The random movement of particles suspended in motion with air or water. The Brownian movement phenomenon was observed in 1827 by Robert Brown, with the suspension of particles in liquid as observed under a microscope. While Brown theorized his observations had to do with living organisms, it wasn't until the turn of the 20th century kinetic theory was developed helping us to understand, thermal agitation of smaller suspended particles in motion as their mass, compared to true particles of larger surrounding bodies, are effected by kinetic energy. In 1905, Einstein considered the problem which led to an equation connecting the observed motions with the Boltzmann constant. The development being based on the law of equal partition of energy. Education Note: A smoke soot particle for example, is battered about in air on all sides by the high speed movement of air molecules. The soot particle is absorbing kinetic energy from every direction. In this example, the soot particle floating close to cooler surfaces such as a wall, glass window, stud nails to metal, tend to magnetically migrate towards and eventually cling to cooler surfaces. If the whole wall was cooler than the heated indoor air, such as from a fire, the whole wall would be uniformly covered by smoke particles. Quite often on a wall, stud nails or screws are even cooler than the wall surface and smoke particles deposit in a noticeable pattern. In the 1970's, U.S. Steel Corporation conducted a series of experiments to investigate how 'ghost marks' can occur in a building due to dust build up. U. S. Steel determined that a distinguishable particle deposition pattern began to occur on a surface when there was >3.3 degrees F. of difference in surface temperature relative to other parts of the surface. If this temperature varied > 8 degreed F., then surface discoloration by dust through a given time occurred. See Kinetic Energy. |
| Detergent Cleansing: |
In sewage contamination of salvageable but contaminated building materials, detergent cleaning means, warm water washing and agitation of the surface with scrub brushes or electric floor scrubber. See Rewashing, Sewage Terms. |
| Hot Water Washing: |
A preferred water-base cleaning method for clothes and building fabrics, including carpets and some upholstery, for the removal of oils, soils, and organic debris. Hot water washing includes the use of detergents, followed by agitation, rinsing and thorough drying. |
| Mechanical Agitation: |
The preferred method of cleaning a contaminated surface properly. Mitigation Note: a) Counter and wall mechanical agitation includes scrub brushes, detergents, warm water and rinsing. b) Mechanical agitation of floors preferably include a floor scrubber with an abrasive stripping pad, detergents, warm water and rinsing. c) There is a difference of mechanical agitation of a non-porous surface and a porous surface. A non-porous surface such as stainless steel and vinyl flooring, can be cleaned and sanitized having a even cleanliness, while porous surfaces, such as non-sealed concrete, wood subfloors and drywall, cannot be cleaned and sanitized evenly. |
| Sanitization: |
Health and Safety Note: a) The process of completely cleaning all harmful pathogenic bacteria and harmful microscopic elements from the surface of building material, while leaving the building material with a safe level of resident growth. b) Sanitization is not an antiseptic and is not disinfection or sterilization. By cleaning porous building materials you may have reduced the bacteria, fungi and yeasts in the building, but technically, you have not disinfected the building of all organism presence. Sanitization is the best possible cleaning method, next to removing the contaminated building material. c) Sanitization includes applying a sanitizer or a disinfectant solution on a surface only after the surface has been cleaned and rinsed. See Mechanical Agitation, Surface Cleaning. |
| Scrubbing: |
The washing of a floor or material through wetting, detergent solution and a moderately abrasive pad or brush. The method must take into consideration the appropriate detergent and brushes for the surface involved. Scrubbing requires vigorous agitation of the wetted surface. |
| Surface Cleaning: |
Surface Cleaning means methods used by which surfaces are cleaned and decontaminated by. Education Note: a) Surface cleaning includes mechanical agitation to remove dried contaminates, and detergents that allow for suspension. b) Mechanical cleaning with a brush, detergent chemicals, cleaners, followed with rinsing completes surface cleaning. See Clean, Clean-up, Sanitization. |
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The Disaster Advice Glossary operates on TechMerit Technoloy.
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