Bleach

Disaster Advice Glossary

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.

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Definition

Bleach:	Household Chlorox-type chlorine bleach that has an active ingredient of approximately 5.25% hypochlorite. Safety Note: a) For sanitizing already cleaned and rinsed salvageable hard-surface building materials, use a 10:1 solution of water to bleach. If the hard surface has been cleaned with detergents the surface application of 10:1 water to bleach will give you approximately <5,000 ppm of remaining organisms in a given area. b)For contents, test all contents for color safe and damage to the contents from oxidizing bleach. c) For salvageable porous building material surfaces that are contaminate saturated, they need to be warm water washed and scrubbed with detergents, rinsed then bleach applied with a 5:1 solution, having a dwell time of 10 minutes, before fresh water rinsing or pressure spraying. d) Bleach, like any disinfectant should be removed once it has become effective. Mitigation Note: Household bleach is the CDC, EPA and health department disinfectant of choice in flooded buildings. See Disinfectants.
Containment Unit, Cleaning and Decontamination:	Referring to fungi mitigation and remediation (abatement), a containment-unit are typically the critical barrier and equipment used during the removal of fungi contamination process. Cleaning and decontamination of the containment-unit refers to the appropriate methods necessary for the collection of all migrant and settled spores and other contaminates on and in the containment-unit. Education Note: A containment-unit may include a second critical barrier containment-unit, other than the primary critical barrier containment-unit, which consists of a temporary built plastic room or plastic sealing off another room, which then becomes plastic-sealed off from the primary contamination area. The secondary containment-unit maintains its own 'separate' air pressure from the main contamination zone or area. The secondary containment-unit is a staging area, where fungal contaminated building materials, already plastic bagged, are stored, and are waiting removal from the building. The secondary containment-unit is the main entry and access between the outside and the main contamination zone or area, as well as the exit and egress to the building. Mitigation Note: Both the primary and secondary containment-units cleaning and decontamination, requires a combination of surface HEPA vacuuming, followed by surface cleaning, using damp wiping (with a minimum of water), to remove settled and migrant dusts and spores before safely dismantling the containment-unit(s). The remediation practitioners must carefully consider the necessity and advisability of applying biocides, such as bleach, when cleaning and sanitizing the containment-unit. The goal of the remediation program must be to remove all microbial growth that was part of the project, and this includes the contamination migrant in the containment-unit. Caution Note: The consulting industrial hygienist associated with the remediation project must consider the efficacy of all antimicrobial agents and their contact time and removal. Health and Safety Note: Neither the primary remediation and abatement containment-unit or the secondary support entry and egress containment-unit, can be used for employee rest and removal of PPE. Only exiting from both of the containment-units and after decontamination, can removal of PPE be considered appropriate. See Critical Barrier during Fungal Abatement, Full-scale Fungi Decontamination-Unit
Localised Containment and Correction:	In water damage and fungal mitigation, local or localized containment becomes an isolated localized area of contamination. Properly completed containment and correction can be removed relatively easily with little danger to a trained practitioner, while avoiding spread of the fungi contaminate throughout a larger area. In fungi remediation, localized surface contamination may be achieved by washing and sanitizing a surface followed by immediate towel drying. Health and Safety Note: In fungi remediation, if the fungal contaminate reappears on a surface over a relatively short period of time, this most likely means the fungi is not just a surface contaminate, but it is growing from within the matrix of a wood, drywall or cellulosic building material. Opening up a localized or isolated fungi contaminated building material area must be completed with extreme care, since the proliferation of fungi spores and toxins can be larger in mass from behind the material, and it can be dangerous to the health of the mitigation practitioner and other building occupants. Mitigation Note: Using proper industry standards of care during the removal of a localized fungi contaminated building material. The trained mitigation practitioner must: (1) set in place loose plastic and tape off the area having localized fungi. (2) the practitioner is to cut a hole in the plastic, sufficient enough to place the head of the HEPA vacuum brush in the plastic while maintaining negative air pressure between the surface and plastic sheeting. (3) the practitioner is to vacuum all loose surface visible fungi and spores. (4) only after HEPA vacuuming of the moldy surface, should the material be carefully cut out. (5) the mold contaminated building material is to be carefully plastic bagged, preferably in two bags consisting of 6-mil plastic and the bags are to be closed and tied shut. (6) the remaining building material(s), including open wall or ceiling cavity, is to be HEPA vacuumed of all dust and spores, whether they are visible or not. If there is insulation behind the material removed, the insulation may be a source of contamination and it too may require careful removal. (7) after HEPA vacuuming, the interior wall cavity or material is to be damp wiped (preferably with a bleach solution) to remove adherent microscopic dusts, spores and fungal hyphae. The mitigation practitioner must be careful to not over wet the area, avoiding residual microbial contamination growth. (8) attempt a thorough investigation of the wall or ceiling cavity, or other building material, to ascertain why the fungi occurred in the first place. (9) if identification of a defect is present, the causation for the fungi must be corrected. (10) only after correction and careful inspection of the clean (mold free) and dry building material(s), should new insulation and other material surfaces be installed. See Full-scale Containment and Correction.
River Flooding, Damage Guidelines:	In water damage remediation, it is the flood water from rivers, streams and lakes which enter into buildings. River flooding brings with it silt, mud and organic matter that become adsorbed into porous building materials. Education Note: Methods of Assessment and Mitigation: 1) Once the flood waters recede, all wet buildings must be checked for safety before entry. Health and Safety Note: Do not use electricity and gas sources until they have been inspected. Keep all power generators outside the building!. 2) Wear a HEPA rated respirator, gloves and protective clothing. 3) After an assessment of the building damage, 4) remove all salvageable contents to a safe place. 5) Wash and rinse, bleach sanitize and rinse salvageable contents, then wipe them down, use wood oils and creams to restore finish and hardware. 6) In the building, remove all standing flood water, silt and mud. 7) Remove effected carpet and pad, drywall and insulation. 8) Pressure wash all subfloors and exposed sill plates and stud bays. 9) For basements, pump out the flood water. 10) For raised foundations, pump out flood water and open skirts and access to the building. 11) Force in fresh air and exhaust out wet air. 12) No building should have new drywall or insulation installed for a minimum of 2 weeks, and only after passing a moisture test survey. 13) Have the building independently inspected by building inspectors before restoration, and by utilities before using gas and electricity.

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