Occupational exposures are those exposures at a work site which employees are exposed. Exposure to contaminated water including sewage is an OSHA violation and an exposure to an employee can result in fines and penalties to the employer. Employees must be trained in all aspects of health and safety and their job in a controlled classroom environment before the employer is allowed to expose an employee having proper PPE to pathogenic substances. Health and Safety Note Occupational exposures to workers cleaning up blood is an OSHA violation if the worker has not been properly trained in bloodborne pathogens and they have not been taught the proper handling and disposal of the blood contaminated materials in a controlled classroom training environment.

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 %u005Bfungi%u005D 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.

Education and Health Note In water damage remediation occupational hazards are the perils hazards and diseases which can be identified by OSHA and medical professionals which are directly associated with water damage cleanup and mitigation industry. See Employee Protection and Training Employee Right to Know Occupational Related Respiratory Diseases Routes of Exposure Sanitation Hazards at a Temporary Workplace Sewage Mitigation Health and Safety

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

The region within an occupied space between planes 3 and 72 inches 75 and 1800 mm above the floor and more than 2 feet 600 mm from the walls or fixed air conditioning equipment. ASHRAE Standard 55-1981

An accident including exposure to conditions which result during an insurance policy period in bodily injury or property damage. Repeat or continuous exposure to the same general conditions is considered to be one occurrence. Insurance Note Occurrence does not include accidents or events which take place during the insurance policy period which do not result in bodily injury or property damage until after the policy period.

An acute olfactory sensation of smell and taste at a distance. Education Note Odours are all around us with most odours not being recognized unless they produce good or bad smells. Odours cause our nerve receptors to tell our brain that they are OK to be around and they are pleasant or the odour is offensive and we must not be around the cause. See Malodor

A process by which odor is reduced or eliminated. Some odours can be reduced through aeration or oxidation. Other odours require the cleaning and removal sanitizing/deodorization for the odour counteractant to be effective. Chemical odour counteractants COCs are meant to penetrate dissolve and absorb the odor molecule resulting in the neutralization of the odour.

The normal process by which emissions are released from a substance or a material.

The presence of mature and dead fungi and yeasts from a previous occurrence. See Pre-Existing Conditions

A perceived personal air quality term which attempts to quantify a given odour pollutant or pollution load. For example one person creates 1 olf of bio-effluents. If there are 10 cubic meters of floor space per person then people create 0.1 olf per m olf/m. Other sources are compared and quantified by olfs. For example if 40%u0025 of the people smoke this adds 0.2 olf/m to the load.

The two most common paint finishes on interior and exterior surfaces. Contractor Remediation and Restoration Note In determining whether the surface is oil or latex-based paint consider using a small amount of denatured alcohol on a cotton ball or swab gently applying the denatured alcohol on a test area usually in a corner of a closet or area behind furniture or appliance. Latex paint is disolved by denatured alcohol where the oil-base paint is not. With Latex paint the paint softens becomes tacky to the touch and it will come off on the surface of a cloth. If there is no change most likely the paint finish is oil base. Most professional painters can visually tell oil painted surfaces from Latex. Oil paints for example tend to have a smooth and hard feel to them while Latex or water-based paints feel more rubbery to the touch. The difference is subtle and by no means foolproof. Remember oil and water don%u0027t mix. Meaning oil-base and water-base paints will not adhere or bond with each other.

The ability to preform certain tasks successfully at a job site without taking away the material or content to a plant for cleaning decontamination or restoration. On-site is the same as on-location. See In-Plant Cleaning and Restoration

Items listed on the scope of work work order or estimate that states the work necessary have not been disclosed or completely investigated and therefore the exact costs for repair or replacement cannot be defined without further investigation or an attempt to complete a repair.

The amount of organic waste in or under a building from a mainline sewer system backup. The amount of organic contamination existing in a given area.

Compounds and materials which are descended from vegetable and animal life and petroleum derivatives.

Carbon-based materials that are discarded into the environment. The term is often used to define the presence of domestic sewage.

The agency primarily responsible for the safety and health of employees in their workplace. In 1970 the federal statute that established the Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSH for the purpose of ensuring a safe and healthy workplace of all employees. See EPA

A record keeping of a injury log that contains all employee injuries exposures and summaries about the injuries or exposures called the OSHA 200 or 300 log. 29 CFR 1900.002.

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%u0025 of the claim.

Parameters used to define other corrective action goals for chemical toxic or biological agents of concern. The ORMC are concentration values other numeric values physical condition or performance criteria. The ORMC must be determined for values conditions and performance criteria which will be used for the corrective action goals.

Outdoor air is air taken from the external atmosphere and therefore in mass it has not previously been circulated through the HVAC system.

The loss of vapours or gases from a material usually as a result of raising the temperature of a material or reducing the pressure exerted on a material.

The results from a sink tub toilet basin or berm ie. water heater pan to flood and saturate the surrounding building materials with fresh water gray water or sewage.

The general costs associate with the operation and maintenance material and labor burden on a job along with hidden costs insurance administrative education training marketing licensing fees rent and utilities which must become part of the overhead recovery costs of a job. See Overhead %u0026 Profit

The reasonable overhead and profit required on each contracted job. There are different interpretations about overhead and profit across the United States and Canada. Contractor Note In state construction codes for state licensed contractors overhead and profit is the legal add-on of the estimated percent of overhead and costs including labor burden added on to the estimated costs then a percent of profit is added on top of all costs of the job. General contractors will add a 10-20%u0025 to the job cost estimate as part of the overhead costs and then 10-20%u0025 on top of all combined costs. Adjuster Note Some insurance company adjusters will accept or deny O%u0026H costs. The reasons appear to vary with each claim adjuster adjusting claims office and region. Some insurance adjuster state that you have to have three subtrades on a job before they will allow O%u0026H to the general contractor while other insurance company adjusters have their own reasons why they accept or deny O%u0026H from a general. Some state contractor licensing boards have suggested guidelines on overhead and profit. See Administrative Costs Overhead

Too much or too little oxygen in air provides a confined space hazard. Oxygen concentrations must not go below 19.5%u0025 and they are not to exceed 23.5%u0025 oxygen.

That concentration of oxygen by volume below which air supplying respiratory protection must be provided. It exists in atmospheres where the percentage of oxygen by volume is less than 19.5%u0025 oxygen.

Any atmosphere having a percentage of oxygen by volume that is less than 19.5%u0025 of available and breathable oxygen. A low concentration of oxygen by volume that is above exposure levels where atmosphere supplied respiratory protection must be provided. 29 CFR 1910.146 30 CFR Part 11.90.

In air it is the use of ozone as a gas O3 as a disinfectant or oxidizer. Ozonation has been very successful in reducing carbon-base fire odors in buildings but current science suggests gas-phase ozone generators are not capable of producing sufficient amounts of ozone to kill fungi infestation and sewage bacteria in buildings. If that amount of ozone gas is available the indoor environment would be toxic and harmful.