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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
| ACM (Asbestos Containing Materials): |
See Asbestos, Asbestos Containing Materials. |
| Acoustic Blown Ceiling: |
A compressor blown-on ceiling made primarily of paint and mineral fibres. Sometimes, prior to 1980 the mineral fibres were asbestos. Acoustic blown ceiling are usually found in residential buildings. |
| 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 |
| Air Scrubber: |
Depending on the application a machine that has an air intake and one or more - prefilters, HEPA filters, carbon filters, plenum motor and exhaust that is contained in a metal housing. Mitigation Note: Airscrubbers scrub and remove contaminated air, allowing cleaner air to remain in a building. For example, asbestos and lead abatement contractors must use HEPA filtered air scrubbers machines during abatement. When fungi and bacteria contaminated building materials are disturbed or removed, air scrubbers must be installed for the protection of employees and for the reduction of cross-contamination in non-contaminated areas. See HEPA Air Scrubber. |
| Asbestos: |
A family of silicate minerals that are non-conductive to heat and electricity. The minerals have been used extensively in insulating materials, including insulation, acoustic tiles and ceilings. Asbestos is a good insulator, but friable asbestos has been known to cause illness and death. health and Safety Note: damaging asbestos containing materials (ACM) from fire and water, may result in some of the mineral fibres becoming airborne and friable. Mitigation Note: a) Remediation contractors may be required to test fior the presence of ACM. If asbestos is suspected, air movement must be restricted and HEPA filtered negative air equipment must be properly installed. b) Asbestos requires sampling and testing to confirm the material(s) actually contain asnestos. depending on the amout of ACM to be removed, a licensed asbestos abatement company will need to be hired. |
| Blown Acoustic Ceilings: |
The adhesive and acoustic material sprayed on to a ceiling, giving the ceiling an even appearance and better sound absorption. Prior to 1980 and as late as 1994, some of the blown acoustic ceilings contained asbestos. |
| Enclosure: |
a) An enclosed area or room that is either being sealed off from another room or from itself. b) A barrier or partition that separates one area from another. c) A plastic material, usually 6 mm or greater, that is used in asbestos, lead-base paint, and mould abatement. |
| Environmental Impact: |
a) The impact of a contaminate on an building or a material. b) The impact of a contaminate on the environment and building occupancy. The environmental impact may be short lived or long lasting. In either case, the environmental impact must be measured and monitored. |
| Mitigation Note: |
In water damage mitigation, it is the impact of the water damage event effecting directly the building and its occupants. 1) Saturated asbestos and lead-base paint is a direct environmental impact on the building. 2) Not addressing all the issues of water, water vapor, drying the building immediately, and resulting increase of fungi, may have a direct environmental and health impact on the building and its occupants. |
| Fire Toxics: |
A burning building has wood, plastics, other synthetics, asbestos to lead-base paint, not including stored chemicals under a sink or in a garage, which together, produce a soup of toxic materials. No employee should be allowed to inhale soot and toxins that contain carcinogens. A HEPA-rated respirator, during the tear out and cleanup phase, must be worn by all employees. Right after combustion in a fire damaged building, more than 1,000 identified substances can be present in air at any one time. Weeks later, disturbing fire debris, will cause some of the toxins as carcinogens, to become airborne. |
| 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. |
| Generator(s): |
1) A company or person who inherits regulated and non-regulated chemical or biological waste through the act of owning, renting or managing a building, such as asbestos and lead-base paint. 2) A home or business where regulated and non-regulated waste is stored. 3) A contractor who contains hazardous waste, and now has custody, care and control of the waste. 4) A gas powered generator that produces AC/DC electricity. It powers lights and equipment for mitigation and remediation of building related problems. See Custody, Care and Control. |
| HEPA Air Scrubber (High Efficiency Particulate Air Scrubber): |
Depending on the application, it is a machine that has an air intake and one or more of- prefilters, HEPA filters, [Carbon Filters], plenum motor and exhaust that is contained in a metal housing. Mitigation Note: HEPA air scrubbers-scrub and remove contaminated air, allowing cleaner air to remain in a building. For example, asbestos and lead abatement contractors must use HEPA filtered air scrubbers machines during abatement. When fungi and bacteria contaminated building materials are removed from buildings, air scrubbers must be installed for the protection of employees and for the reduction of cross-contamination in non-contaminated areas. See Air Scrubbers, HEPA Filters, HEPA Sanders, HEPA Vacuums. |
| HEPA Vacuum (High Efficiency Particulate Air Filtering Vacuum): |
Vacuuming equipment specially manufactured and designed to remove settled and loose contaminates from a surface, and the vacuum filter not release the debris and micro-fine dusts back in air through the exhaust. Education Note: The HEPA vacuum retains all micro-fine debris and it will not release or redistribute captured particles larger than 0.03 microns in size in air. For industrial size vacuums, the HEPA vacuum filter is rather expensive, and usually one or two prefilters precede and protect the HEPA filter. a) HEPA stand up vacuums can be purchased for residential use, but in commercial applications, including the containment of asbestos and lead-base paints, only industrial rated HEPA vacuums can be used. In some states, if asbestos and lead is being contained and controlled in the HEPA vacuum, each vacuum must have a state registration number on it. The registration number is issued and renewed yearly by the state, as long as the vacuum can meet the performance and leakage test. b) Industrial HEPA vacuums are used in mold and fungi mitigation and abatement. Dangerous fungi, mycelial fragments, mold toxins, and cell parts are captured and retained in the HEPA vacuum. See HEPA Air Scrubber, HEPA Filters. |
| Hermetically Sealed Environment: |
An air tight environment that keeps contaminates either in or out. Hermetically sealed environments are necessary in asbestos, lead and mold abatement. Even though abatement contractors may not define containment as being hermetic, in actuality, the containment engineering controls for such an environment are required. |
| Manifest System: |
The regulations applicable to transporters of hazardous waste. Included in hazardous waste which must have a manifest are asbestos and lead-base paint. A company may decide to have their own non-regulated manifest system, to track and control the use of chemicals. |
| Microscope: |
The optical instrument used by trained professionals and microbiologists to determine the physical and biological properties associated with a damage. Microscopes are used to identify asbestos, bacteria, yeasts and fungi to name a few. |
| Abatement: |
The term mold abatement is a misnomer and it is a misused term. The term mold abatement came from the asbestos abatement industry. Mould abatement is often confused with asbestos abatement, since most all of the asbestos terminology, methods and equipment, have been borrowed from this industry. Harmful mould is remediated, not abated, since not all mold can be removed from an environment, nor should it be. |
| Mould Remediation: |
Specific industry accepted methods for the containment and removal of mould-contaminated building materials safely, while applying acceptable industry standards-of-care. NYC Education Note: Mould remediation of contaminated building materials having over 30 square feet of contaminated surface, must follow the same containment and abatement methods as prescribed for asbestos remediation. See IICRC, Mycotoxin Abatement, Personal Protective Equipment, Serious Violation, Stachybotrys Mitigation. |
| Occupational Related Respiratory Diseases: |
Education and Health Note: Diseases associated with the water damage and mitigation industry that are occupational exposures, resulting in the inhalation of airborne contaminates causing illness and disease. Respirable Compounds Include: hardwood floor sanding, silica dust, chemical vapours, soil dust, asbestos, pollens, dander, lead-base paints, aluminum shavings, mold spores, fungal toxins, cotton dust, paper dust, fibreglass, carbon monoxide, cellulose particulates, cement dust, clay dust, fly ash, bird and rodent feces. See Allergies, Allergens, Biological Particles, Bronchitis, Byssinosis, Conjunctivitis, Labored Breathing, Non-Biological Particles, Pneumoconiosis, Rhinitis. |
| Pneumoconiosis: |
a) Any group of lung diseases caused by the inhalation of certain mineral dusts. These dusts originate from non-fibrous materials, so they do not include asbestos or fiberglass. Materials included in pneumoconiosis diseases are silica sand dust, from air blasting, sanding and stone cutting, fine fly ash dust or coal dust. b) A condition of the respiratory tract due to inhalation of dust that are deposited and retained in the lungs, resulting in signs and symptoms of a pulmonary disease, called pneumoconiosis. |
| Pollution Liability Insurance Coverage: |
A coverage that usually protects the contractor from liability and damages resulting from a pollution occurrence. Most general liability policies exclude pollution coverage. However, depending on the policy language, limited pollution coverage may apply. Pollution insurance may be necessary when contractors come in contact with lead-base paint, asbestos, contaminated soil, liquids and solvents, mold, sewage, biohazards, toxins, or when contractors use or apply chemicals, such as cleaners, disinfectants and deodorizers. See General Liability Insurance Policy |
| Poly: |
An abbreviation for polyethylene sheeting. In the asbestos abatement and mold remediation industry, 'poly' is usually referred to as polyethylene or plastic sheeting that covers, seals, masks, protects an environment or contents. In asbestos and mold remediation, poly must be 6mm thick plastic sheeting or bags for contaminated material containment. In some areas, poly that is used as a barrier of a room for example, must be 6mm thick and FR or fire retardant rated. |
| Tort Law: |
Tort:As per Webster's Desk Dictionary, a wrongful act, damage, or injury done willfully, negligently, or in circumstances involving strict liability for which a civil suit can be brought. a) Tort claims cases are not new, they go back to the common law of England before the 1700's. Legal and Liability Note: Common law today has greatly changed and covers many areas of public law. Tort laws protecting the public are growing daily as new court decisions are being made across our country. Most tort suits are brought by plaintiffs who are seeking damage from personal injury, negligence, strict liability, product liability and misrepresentation. Persons not suffering tangible injuries at this time, are now suing for fear of future damages for increased risk of personal injury or property damage. b) The term, environmental laws are being entered as a new language in our vocabulary, especially now that we are trying to cure some of the 200 years of wrongs of Western industry. Asbestos, lead, Legionaries Disease, pesticides, toxic chemicals and hazardous waste are a few mentioned in being this new vocabulary of items which we are to stay away from. Now being added to your vocabulary is tort claims, which are part of every business persons responsibility to understand. Contractor Note: Water damage, odor control and restoration contractors are now being sued for neglect, wrongful damage and misrepresentation. |
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