Duraclean Journal of Marketing, Management and Technical Topics

Removing Stubborn Tile!!!!


Recently Duraclean Restoration Specialists of Duraclean Central did a job where tile removal was necessary. Unfortunately in this case it was extremely difficult to remove. Following is the account of how this problem was overcome.


by Dave Horwath, Director of Market Development - Duraclean Central



"(Attached are a few pictures of the floor we did this past week with dry ice.)

"It was the first time any of us can remember that a self stick tile could not be easily removed from the wood under it. When we tried to remove it would only break off in small pieces. Once a small piece was broken off it would break off in a way that the bottom part was still stuck to the floor and the broken edge would slope up to the top of the tile like a ski slope. This issue made it almost impossible to get a floor scraper, tile scraper or chisel under the tile to break off the next small piece of tile. The only way to get under the tile was to gouge the wood and then we would take too much wood with the small piece of tile that would be removed.






"This process was taking a huge amount of time. I had read quite some time ago about placing dry ice on top of the tile to freeze the tile and the glue. We didn’t know how much dry ice to get and as it turned out we could have used half the amount we purchased. The dry ice was $1.00 per lb. We got (4) 2 in. thick blocks that were about 12 in. square.







"After placing a block of dry ice on a tile and waiting a few min. we hit the side of the tile with a hand held tile scraper and the entire tile popped off in 2 large pieces. No wood was removed. Once we learned how long it took to freeze the tile we finished the rest of the floor in about 15 min. Almost all of the dry ice was left."

Labels: Technical, Tile Removal, Water Damage Restoration

Workers have the right to:

• Review copies of appropriate standards, rules, regulations, and requirements that you are required to have available at the workplace.


• Request information about safety and health hazards in the workplace, appropriate precautions to take, and procedures to follow if involved in an accident or exposed to hazardous substances.


• Gain access to relevant personal exposure and medical records.


• Request an OSHA inspection if they believe hazardous conditions or violations of standards exist in the workplace.


• Accompany an OSHA compliance officer during the inspection tour, or have an authorized employee representative do so.


• Respond to questions from the OSHA compliance officer.


• Observe any monitoring or measuring of hazardous materials and see the resulting records, as required by OSHA standards.


• Review or have an authorized representative review your Log of Work-Related Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (OSHA 300) at a reasonable time and in a reasonable manner.


• Object to the time frame set by OSHA for you to correct a violation by writing to the OSHA area director within 15 working days from the date you receive a citation.


• Submit a written request to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health for information on whether any substance in the workplace has potentially toxic effects in the concentration being used, and, if requested, have the workers’ names withheld from you.


• Be notified if you apply for a variance from an OSHA standard, and have an opportunity to testify at a variance hearing and appeal the final decision.


• Have their names withheld from you, by request, if they sign and file a written complaint.


• Be advised of OSHA actions regarding a complaint, and request an informal review of any decision not to inspect the site or issue a citation.


• File a complaint if punished or discriminated against for acting as a "whistleblower" under the OSH Act or 13 other federal statutes for which OSHA has jurisdiction, or for refusing to work when faced with imminent danger of death or serious injury and there is insufficient time for OSHA to inspect.
  

Employee Responsibilities
Along with rights, of course, come responsibilities. Although OSHA can’t directly cite workers for regulatory violations, it does require that each employee "shall comply with all [applicable] occupational safety and health standards and all rules, regulations, and orders issued under the Act.”

This means your employees are responsible for:

• Reading the OSHA poster posted in your workplace.


• Complying with all applicable OSHA standards.


• Following all lawful employer safety and health rules and regulations, and using assigned PPE while working.


• Reporting hazardous conditions to a supervisor.


• Reporting any job-related injury or illness and seeking prompt treatment.


• Cooperating with OSHA compliance officers conducting inspections.
  Exercising rights under the OSH Act in a responsible manner.

Labels: employees, Safety Compliance, Safety Management

1. Strict geographic limitations – There’s no one answer regarding how close you can ask employees to stay to the worksite while on call, but requiring them to be within, say, a five-minute drive could probably get the company in trouble.



2. Restrictions on movement – When employees are required to stay in the same place — whether it’s a work site or their homes — a court may agree their time needs to be paid.



3. Quick-response requirements – Judges also consider the time a company asks its employees to respond to a call. Again, there’s no one rule, but courts have ruled that requiring employees to call back within 30 minutes is not overly restrictive. Anything much less than that probably would be.



4. Uniform requirements – If employees have to wear a uniform, that’s a sign that personal use of their on-call time is restricted.



5. Frequency of calls – The more calls employees get, the more likely it is that their considered “on duty” and need to be paid. For example, the Department of Labor has stated that EMTs who get more calls in the winter may be owed wages for their on-call time during those months, but not the rest of the year.



6. Prohibiting employees from switching shifts – The more freedom employees have, the better the chance a court will side with the company.

Labels: employees, Labor Relations, Legal

EPA Releases Voluntary Meth Lab Cleanup Guidelines

From EPA's website...

The Voluntary Guidelines for Methamphetamine Laboratory Cleanup provides technical guidance for state and local personnel responsible for methamphetamine (meth) lab cleanup. The Guidelines are based on an extensive review of the best available science and practices and addresses general cleanup activities, identifies best practices for specific items or materials, discusses sampling procedures, and provides additional technical resources.

The Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2007 (56 pp, 5.7M) required EPA to develop these guidelines, based on the best currently available knowledge in the field of meth lab remediation. EPA reviewed state guidance and regulations to develop these voluntary guidelines. In addition, this document has received extensive review and refinement from a broad array of stakeholders as well as focused feedback from nationally-recognized experts in meth lab remediation.

Guidelines Questions and Answers:

Why is EPA publishing these voluntary guidelines?

The Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2007 required EPA to develop guidelines for remediating former methamphetamine labs. This document provides those guidelines for States and local agencies to improve "our national understanding of identifying the point at which former methamphetamine laboratories become clean enough to inhabit again." The legislation also required that EPA periodically update the guidelines, as appropriate, to reflect the best available knowledge and research.

Who should use these guidelines?

The guidelines are geared towards state and local government personnel charged with remediating or otherwise addressing former methamphetamine (meth) labs. This document helps disseminate the best available knowledge and research on meth lab remediation and will also prove useful to cleanup contractors and could be a resource for homeowners.

Does this document create new regulations for meth lab cleanup?

EPA prepared this document based on best current practices to provide voluntary cleanup guidelines to state and local governments, cleanup contractors, industrial hygienists, policy makers and others involved in meth lab remediation. It does not set requirements, but rather suggests a way of approaching meth lab remediation. Those using this document should also consult their appropriate municipal, county or state guidance documents, regulations and statutes. This document is not meant to supersede municipal, county or state guidance documents, regulations or statutes (however this document may be useful as they develop and/or review and revise their own guidelines).

You can download a copy of the 48 page EPA cleanup guidelines with the following link:

http://www.epa.gov/oem/meth_lab_guidelines.pdf

Labels: Cleanup, EPA, EPA Meth Lab Guidelines

# posted by The Duraclean Team @ 1:08 PM

Electrical Emergencies and Rescue Techniques


The following article is a condensation from the "Safety News Alert" newsletter from BLR (http://www.blr.com). Electrical accidents cause countless injuries and claim the lives of hundreds of Americans each year. Electrocution is the nation's fifth ranking workplace killer. Injuries could be minimized and many lives saved if proper rescue techniques were used. BLR provides way to help the victim and keep the rescuer safe.


When an Accident Occurs...

The victim may be incapable of moving or releasing the electrical conductor because of the effect of something called “muscle clamping.” Muscle clamping is the contraction of muscles caused by an electrical current running through the body.


As a result of this effect, attempts to rescue a victim of an electrical accident may pose a hazard for the rescuer. A rescuer who touches a victim who is still in contact with an electrical current could also be exposed to that current. Caution should always be a primary consideration during rescue in response to any electrical accident or emergency.

At the same time, speedy and effective response is essential, because to survive, victims must be rescued as soon as possible.
This means your employees must understand electrical hazards and know how to act fast and safely in an electrical emergency.

Basics of Electrical Rescue

The first rule of electrical rescue is that co-workers should never rush in to an accident situation. While one person calls "911" and summons a maintenance worker qualified for electrical work, other emergency responders should visually examine victims to determine if they are in contact with energized conductors.

Metal surfaces, objects near the victim, or the ground itself may be energized. Responders could become victims if they touch an energized victim or conductive surface. Any active electrical circuits should be de-energized, if possible. For example, the energy could be switched off at the circuit breaker or portable electrical equipment could be unplugged, if this can be done safely. Once the power is off and it is safe to approach, the victim should be examined to see if he or she can be safely moved.

If the electrical circuit can’t be de-energized, emergency responders must use extreme care. They should:

• Ensure that hands and feet are dry.
• Wear protective equipment such as low-voltage gloves and overshoes, if available.
• Stand on a clean, dry surface, or stand on a dry rubber blanket or other insulating material, if possible.
• Use a non conductive material (for example, non conductive rope or cord, or a dry stick or board) to remove the victim from the conductor.
• First aid for a victim of an electrical accident may include CPR if the person isn’t breathing and has no pulse. If the victim is breathing and has a heartbeat, first aid for shock and burns may be required until emergency medical help arrives.

Labels: Safety Compliance, Safety Management, Training

Stay Fire Smart—Don’t Get Burned!

OSHA doesn't specifically direct us to prevent burns, but the agency does build fire prevention into many of its regulations. The following article is a condensation from the "Safety News Alert" newsletter from BLR (http://www.blr.com) that addresses ways in which to accomplish this.

OSHA Standard Reference

For example subpart L of 29 CFR includes detailed requirements for fire detection and alarm systems as well as for fire-fighting equipment and fire-fighting teams. Other OSHA fire prevention requirements are found in OSHA’s regulations for flammable, combustible, and other materials that could burn, and for hot operations like welding and cutting.

Many of these regulations require employers to have fire prevention plans and emergency action plans. To prevent fire hazards from becoming real fires, OSHA explains in 29 CFR 1910.38 that these fire prevention plans must spell out:

• Workplace fire hazards, along with prevention techniques that apply specifically to them
• Potential ignition sources and controls for them
• Fire protection systems and equipment that control these fires
  Individuals or job titles responsible for maintaining these prevention and control systems and hazards
• Maintenance procedures and plans to prevent accidental ignition of combustible materials
• Train your workers to recognize burn hazards, such as the following:
  Flammable liquids, such as oil, solvents, and many chemicals, often have invisible vapors that move quickly through the air; put them together with an ignition source—even a spark—and you could have a fire.
• Smoking is a hazard because lit cigarettes or matches can be an ignition source for paper, flammable liquids, or almost anything that’s capable of burning.
• Welding and cutting operations create flames and sparks, so they’re a potential cause of burns and of fires.
• Hot machines and processes are a burn hazard.
• Space heaters can, if not used properly, cause fires and burns.
• Very hot water is a burn hazard.

Training Considerations

Once they know the hazards, educate and equip them to prevent fires and burns. Train them to take these precautions:

• Keep safe distance from hot tools and processes.
• Test temperature with instruments, not touch.
• Smoke only where permitted.
• Put cigarettes and matches out carefully in ashtrays.
• Use space heaters only when necessary and with correct fuel and good ventilation.
• Keep flammable liquids away from ignition sources.
• Use flammable liquids only in well-ventilated areas.
• Keep flammable liquid in an approved, airtight metal container that’s always closed when not in use.
• Clean up flammable liquid spills and leaks immediately.
• Reuse only tested and identified "empty" flammable liquid containers.
• Don’t cut a container that held flammable liquids.
• Use label and MSDS to identify hazards.
• Wear assigned and/or MSDS-recommended protective clothing.
• Check personal protective equipment (PPE) before use to be sure it’s undamaged.
• Remove PPE carefully to prevent contamination.
• Wash thoroughly after working with chemicals.
• Check that all wiring insulation is in good condition and remove all frayed or worn wires.
• Don’t overload circuits, fuses, motors, and outlets.
• Match plugs to outlets and check that electrical connections are tight.
• Keep machines and tools clean and lubricated.
• Keep combustible trash away from electric lights and machinery.
• Don’t overheat transmission shafts or bearings.
• Keep electrical tools away from water.
• Don’t touch anything electric with wet hands or while standing on wet surfaces.
• Wear rubber protective clothing to handle electric equipment.

Labels: employees, Safety Compliance, Safety Management

ISSA Announces Pandemic Planning Toolkit

The U.S. Presidential Advisory Panel reported this summer that the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, could infect between 30 and 50 percent of the American population and could lead to 90,000 deaths this fall and winter.

Maintaining clean, healthy environments can be the ultimate precautionary measure in the face of a pandemic.

Are you prepared?


ISSA has compiled a Pandemic Planning Toolkit to help you prepare for—and prevent—pandemic outbreaks. The kit includes a wealth of resources for manufacturers and distributors to share with their customers and for cleaning organizations to employ in their daily operations. Content is divided into five unique categories to assist in your diverse preparation efforts:

• Library – Articles from recognized cleaning industry authors and outside organizations like the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization
  
• Multimedia – Videos, webinars, and PowerPoint presentations featuring pandemic preparation information
  
• Cleaning Tips – How-to articles, cleaning procedures, and educational products to help you clean for health
  
• Tools – Checklists, posters, and manuals from ISSA, the CDC, OSHA, and more
  
• Links – Web links to the leading pandemic resources online
  

Visit www.issa.com/pandemic to get started today!

Labels: Safety Compliance, Safety Management, Swine Flu