Demolition: Construction in Reverse with Additional Hazards

Posted by STN Admin on with 0 Comment

Demolition

Demolition could be dangerous. The hazards of a construction site are well known with thousands of minor injuries, hundreds of serious injuries, and accidental death being a part of the process. The same is true for demolition; the deconstruction of buildings. 

Although it is easier to demolish than construct, the injuries and fatalities that occur on demolition sites can be greatly reduced with the proper planning, training, protective equipment, and compliance with standards set by OSHA. 

The Hazards of Demolition

Demolition involves the same basic hazards as construction with additional factors that make it, in some ways, even more dangerous. These can include things such as:

  • Hidden Hazardous Materials: Asbestos, Heavy Metals, Lead, and more 
  • Unknown Changes or Modifications to the Building Structure 
  • Weaknesses in Construction Materials
  • Hazards of the Methods Used in Demolition 

To ensure maximum safety for all who are involved in demolition efforts, care must be taken right from the start. Helpful actions that can aid in this include:

  • Planning: This begins with a full survey and inspection of the building about to be demolished by a trained, qualified specialist. 
  • Locating Utilities: All nearby utilities need to be located and accounted for in the demolition process. 
  • Safety Protocols: This includes prevention of fire, having first aid and emergency services close by, and an evacuation plan in case the structure is about to collapse. 

All of this must take place before the demolition work begins. It is this type of preparation that can prevent injuries and save lives. 

Protection

All personnel on the demolition site should wear the proper personal protective equipment or PPE. These include:

  • Head, eyes, face, ears, hands, and feet protection
  • Respiratory Equipment
  • Personal Fall Arrest Systems or PFAS
  • Proper Protective Equipment for specialized jobs, such as welding 

Wearing the proper protective gear can help prevent injuries and even save lives. When combined with the right training, this can only improve the safety conditions on-site. 

Of course, accidents can happen even on the safest and most secure demolition sites. So, proper training on how to deal with injuries and having emergency services easily accessible will also help ensure safety. Following OSHA guidelines also assists in protecting employees on the demolition site. This provides guidance in recognizing potentially hazardous conditions and avoiding and removing them from the property. 

How Brickley Environmental Can Help

Brickley Environmental is the one to call to conduct a safe, secure demolition. With over 30 years of experience in the Southern California area,  Brickley Environmental follows all safety protocols,  OSHA regulations,  and engages in the proper planning to ensure that all areas are covered for your demolition project. Call us today to discuss your needs.

For more information, visit OSHA’s website. 

 

Mold Prevention

Posted by STN Admin on with 0 Comment
mold

In outdoor, dry environments mold is an annoying allergen that may cause a few sneezes but is essentially harmless. However, when it finds its way inside a residence, building, or facility and lands on an organic surface, it can become a costly danger. This is especially true if the location is subject to moisture or humidity that allows the mold to reproduce rapidly. 

Left unchecked, the mold will spread and consume organic materials such as wood. The spores created will also cause health issues to arise for those who live or work inside. However, if it is not treated early, it may cost thousands of dollars in terms of damage and replacement. In some cases, homes and buildings have been condemned because of the infestation. 

The key is prevention which means taking the appropriate steps to ensure that it never grows inside your home or building. What follows are a few tips that can help you prevent infestation. 

Check for Leaks: Water leaking from your water pipes, water heater, or drains can cause mold to form and grow. Check over your pipes and eliminate small leaks before they become large problems due to infestation. 

Improve Ventilation: The key to keeping it from reproducing is to reduce the moisture or humidity levels in the air. That means installing proper ventilation in rooms that generate humidity such as the kitchen and bathroom. 

Mold-Resistant Paint & Drywall: When repainting or adding new drywall to areas of your home, particularly the kitchen and bathroom, use mold-resistant materials. Such materials will help keep it in check if it should find its way to the surface. 

Waterproof the Home: Simple techniques such as adding French drains to the foundation or kick-out flashing to the roof can prevent water from getting inside the home. 

But even if you perform all the prevention techniques, there is still the possibility of flooding. 

Flooding

One of the most common ways for mold to reproduce in your home is after a flooding event. Whether caused by precipitation, a break in a pipe, an outside body of water entering the home, or a backup in the drain, it creates the proper conditions to grow. 

It becomes vital to clean up the water and contaminants that have entered. Once the water has been removed, the home must be well ventilated and dried using fans to ensure that any mildew that has not been removed does not have the moisture to grow and reproduce. 

How Brickley Environmental Can Help

Call Brickley Environmental today and find out more about their mold removal services. They can provide the guidance you need to make the best-informed decisions about how to prevent or remove mold from your home, office, or facility. 

For more information on mold, click here to visit the CDC’s website.

To learn more about mold from Brickley environmental, click here.

Lead Hazard

Posted by STN Admin on with 0 Comment

If you live in a home that was originally painted with lead paint, some of the lead may still be around underneath layers of new paint. When exposed, it may cause lead-poisoning issues that mostly affect children but can affect adults as well. 

Where to Look for Lead

Most lead paint was used in the following areas. 

  • Bathrooms, Kitchens, and Floors
  • Baseboards, Stairs, and Windows
  • Porches, Exteriors, Woodwork and Trim 

Such areas are often painted over numerous times over the years, so the paint may still be trapped under the surface. However, if the area is subject to impacts, friction, or deterioration, then the underlying paint may be exposed. 

How to Maintain the Condition of Your Paint

If you suspect that lead paint is present in your home, then you can create a strong barrier to help ensure that it never gets exposed to the surface. A good place to start is by keeping the layers of protection over old paint by touching up from time to time areas that may be deteriorating. 

Baseboards: You can fully remove the baseboards and replace with new ones. Also, you can cover the baseboards with contact paper, duct tape, or paint over them again. 

Doors: Use felt bumpers on the edges of the doors. Or, you can use duct tape to cover the edges which are at most risk of exposure. If you suspect that lead paint may be underneath, consider removing the door entirely and replacing with a new one. 

Floors & Stairs: Rugs and carpet can reduce, if not eliminate the friction caused by foot traffic. Adding a runner to the stairs can also reduce the possibility of creating lead dust. 

Windows: Use contact paper to cover window trims and surfaces that may have contaminated paint. You can also use duct tape as well. Try to minimize the opening and closing of windows as much as possible to reduce impact. 

This means identifying areas subject to moisture which may cause the paint to fall apart. And, do not remove any paint which might create dust which contains lead. 

You will need a professional removal service to eliminate the product from your home. That is where Brickley Environmental can be of service. 

Let Brickley Environmental Help

You can get peace of mind when calling the professionals at Brickley Environmental. If you believe that lead may be present on your property or if it is coming in from another area, Brickley Environmental can find out thanks to their expert services. 

For more information on lead poisoning, visit the CDC’s website here.

Another article about the dangers of lead from BrickleyEnv can be found here.

COVID-19 Induced Waste Scenario

Posted by STN Admin on with 0 Comment

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic will go down as one of the most disruptive events in modern history. Of all the conditions that have affected the world due to the pandemic, one thing that is causing a growing concern is the increase in waste volume. The increase in the volume of waste products has caused considerable concern that the virus may spread faster than ever before. 

Increase in COVID-19 Waste Product

Waste processing systems around the world are predicated on the movement and location of people. Before the days of extended lockdowns, many people during the day are at work, school, or outside the home. This means that the waste product they generate is handled by different systems. 

But more importantly, the amount of waste from residential locations has placed a large burden on waste collection and processing facilities. This is not only about human waste, but the one-time use products used to help keep the spread of the virus in check. 

Such products are now filling up landfills and overwhelming processing centers which puts the surrounding environment in danger of leakage. This means that even if the virus is not spread due to the increase is waste products, the environment may be in danger because facilities have become overwhelmed. 

Environmental Impact

In most developed countries, the increase in waste product does not strain the system. This issue is mostly for less developed countries that do not have an adequate waste collection and processing system. 

However, there are local areas even in developed countries such as the US that may be impacted if a combination of events occurs at the same time. For example, a hurricane or major storm combined with power outages and temporary reduction of services may create an overload to the system. 

While such situations may seem rare, they can happen in areas which may already be close to capacity. States with large homes populations for example are more vulnerable to the environmental impact of reduced waste management processes. 

For business owners who may have issues with their own waste collection and processing systems, there is a company that can help. 

Call Brickley Environmental

If you have concerns about the increase in potentially hazardous waste material due to the COVID-19 pandemic, then call the professionals at Brickley Environmental. They have the knowledge, experience, and equipment to identify any increase in waste product due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For companies or areas that are seeing an increase in waste production or have concerns about the spreading of COVID-19, then Brickley Environmental may have the answer. Call today and find out more about how such waste material may be identified and checked for the presence of the virus. 

5 Home Hazards Facing Young Children

Posted by STN Admin on with 0 Comment
children

The home is a place of safety and security. However, it can also be a place of danger to children if the appropriate steps are not taken to inspect, identify, and remove potential dangers. The identification of potential hazards may prevent an accident that may cause serious health problems. 

Poisons

Remove all poisons from within reach of children. This means cubbies, drawers, and storage areas in the kitchen, bathroom, garage, and even the shed. Put all poisons and other harmful materials up and away from the reach of your kids. 

Pets

The unpredictable nature of pets can be difficult to control, but you can teach your kids to never abuse, hurt, or tease them. Teach your kids to respect pets and never leave young children alone with them. 

Children Falling

Arguably the most common of all injuries are caused by falls. For the most part, falls do not cause any injury, at least nothing more than a bump, bruise, or small abrasion. However, if your home has a staircase which may constitute a longer fall, then a more serious injury may occur. To help prevent falls, you can do the following. 

  • Clear away all clutter from the floors, staircases, and entranceways
  • Keep all toys, shoes, and the like off the floors
  • Mop up water from the kitchen and bathroom floors

It also helps to teach kids that indoors is no place for running. Which leads to the next issue. 

Children Tipping Over Furniture

When you consider the weight of tall dressers, entertainment centers, and the like, the effect that happens when tipped over may cause a serious injury or worse to take place. To prevent this, you will need to anchor all furniture to the walls or floors. Any furniture that may tip over must be secured in this fashion. 

Hazardous Common Items

This is more difficult, but one that you need to address. Any item that might cause harm from firearms to kitchen knives, utensils, and even tools need to be kept out of the reach of children. After putting up the poisons, secure all household items as well. 

Brickley Environmental is Here to Help

For parents, child care facility owners, and those in charge of children at their facility, proper safety management can help prevent most injuries from occurring. This is where the experts at Brickley Environmental can help.

The professionals at Brickley Environmental can inspect your home, office, or facility to see if there are any hazards that might threaten the health or safety of the children and adults present. Quite often, safety hazards are overlooked or simply not understood. That is where the trained eyes of Brickley Environmental professionals can provide answers.

For more information on how to avoid hazards in the home, visit staysafe.org.