Duraclean Journal of Marketing, Management and Technical Topics

Lead Safety for Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Training






As mentioned in this Online Journal starting in August, 2009 RRP (lead-based paint training) and certification should be completed by April 22, 2010. Dave Horwath and Bill Ondratschek just went through the training and became “certified renovators.” Duraclean Central will be applying to make its company owned franchise certified as well. Duraclean wants to make sure that if you haven’t attended and been certified at one of these training sessions that you are aware of the following:

• Anyone who is not certified, works on a structure where they disturb lead-based paint (in our case restorers and remediators) and gets cited for it can receive a fine of $32,500 for each violation from the EPA.
• The EPA will be looking for “whistle blowers” to turn in non-certified firms. The benefits? The whistle blowers will get a percentage of the fine (and can also help to put their competition out of business).
• By attending and completing the RRP course the attendees will become “certified renovators.” This will allow their firms to be certified after the proper paperwork and $300.00 application fee is submitted. The certified renovator, in turn, can train the employees in his/her firm to perform the necessary lead containment and removal procedures.
• Certified firms will be posted on EPA's website.
• HOWEVER, the certified renovator CANNOT certify the other employees in his firm. Why is this so important? Because the certified renovator must be present on the job site when posting signs, containing and cleaning work areas and implementing the cleaning verification procedure. What it means is that if you have multiple jobs running at the same time, if you only have one certified renovator it can be an issue. You should seriously consider having more than one employee attend and get certified at one of the courses or if you had planned to attend by yourself to have another employee go with you.
• IF YOU DO ANY JOBS THAT ARE “HUD” RELATED, ALL WORKERS ON SITE MUST BE "CERTIFIED RENOVATORS"!!!!!
  

The extent of lead-based paint that’s out there may be much more than you ever thought. From a study released in October 2008:

• 86% of houses built before 1940 have lead paint.
• 66% of houses built between 1940-1959 have lead paint.
• 25% of houses built between 1960-1978 have lead paint.
• 35% OF ALL HOUSING HAS LEAD PAINT!

When you apply to become a certified firm part of the application form you send in says that your subs will be certified as well. Even though you are certified you CANNOT train the subs' employees to perform the lead paint related tasks. You CANNOT train anyone not on your payroll. Your subs will have to get certified on their own. Ask yourself this: are they aware of this certification?

What this comes down to us that that getting certified is not an option if you want to stay in the restoration and remediation business. The April 22, 2010 date to become a certified firm is already too late to attain since after you become certified EPA has a typical 90 day approval period. Therefore, if you are in restoration and remediation you need to go to one of these courses ASAP!

The fact that you do become certified and have applied to have your firm certified will likely be good enough for the time being but the longer you delay it can become an issue. You can attend a local course or attend one of the courses that Duraclean is sponsoring here at Duraclean Central ($175.00 per attendee).

Right now we are hosting an RRP course at Duraclean Central on March 10. Certification that will be obtained by the attendees is nationally recognized with the exception of the states of Iowa, Wisconsin and North Carolina that run their own certification programs.. We have space for about 16 attendees. There may be five spaces for that date already taken. There is also a chance that we could have an additional session the following day (March 11) if we get enough respondents. You can also attend an RRP class near you if they are available.

WHATEVER YOU DO, ATTEND A CLASS!

If you would like to attend the March 10th (or 11th) class at Duraclean contact Bill Ondratschek at extension 148 or e-mail him at billo@duraclean.com.

Labels: Lead, Lead Regulations, RRP

The Profit Opportunity in Anti-Allergen Services

"It's a service perfectly tailored to the carpet and upholstery cleaning professional..."






As a professional cleaner you are probably aware that allergies and other allergic diseases such as asthma and sinusitis affect very large segments of the population, if fact, between 50 and 70 million Americans. While there are many types of allergies, the biggest risk factors for the development of allergic disease are found in the indoor environment. These risk factors are from the dust mite (pictured above) and pet allergens. The answer to these in the past involved efforts to eliminate them including drugs and allergy shots and even to the point of giving away pets.


But now there is a way to actually inactivate these allergens so that the body does not recognize them and does not trigger an allergic reaction. There is a treatment system that can "denature" the most dangerous indoor allergens, rendering them harmless. The answer is the "ResponsibleCare" system where you can provide immense relief to allergy sufferers, including helping to prevent the development of more serious allergic diseases and even protecting people without allergies from developing them in the first place!


Best of all, this is a cleaning and treatment process that in most cases utilizes the equipment you already have and requires no complicated training or large investment. It's a service perfectly tailored to the carpet and upholstery cleaning professional.



Looking at the Program in More Detail
To learn more about the background of allergies and what can be done about it you can download a 24 page report at the following Duraclean link: http://www.duracleanfranchise.com/downloads/allergy/antiallergenspecialreport.pdf.

Training Resource

You can order a DVD from Duraclean. Aaron Groseclose of Masterblend that distributes the ResponsibleCare System makes a classroom presentation that includes participant questions and answers regarding the process and marketing of the service. The last part of the video shows a complete step-by-step hands on demonstration that shows how easy it is to do this process. You can order the DVD at: http://www.duracleanfranchise.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?preadd=action&key=3353-DVD.









Promotional Materials
There are several promotional materials that you can download and/or order. They can be found at: http://www.duracleanfranchise.com/downloads/allergy/anti-allergen.htm.



These include:

• an allergy relief tri-fold brochure

• a guaranteed relief 6 page brochure

• an anti-allergen stuffer

ResponsibleCare Products

The complete line of anti-allergen products may be found at: http://www.duracleanfranchise.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?search=action&category=CHAR&keywords=all

Labels: Anti-Allergen, Marketing, Training

Preventing Bloodborne Pathogen Exposures

The following article is a condensation from the "Safety News Alert" newsletter from BLR (http://www.blr.com). It provides information on how to prevent bloodborne pathogen exposure.






Although workplace exposures to bloodborne pathogens are less common outside the healthcare field, almost any worker has the potential to be exposed under the certain circumstances—for example, when providing first aid. Make sure your workers know how to prevent such exposures.

The best way to prevent exposure to bloodborne pathogens is to practice “universal precautions.” This means that employees should always treat blood and body fluids as if these materials are infectious, even if they don't think the materials really are infectious.
In addition, instruct your workers to:

• Wash their hands and any exposed skin thoroughly with soap and water immediately following contact with potentially infectious materials.
• If blood gets in their eyes, nose, or mouth, flush thoroughly with water.
• Be careful when cleaning up accident sites where blood has been shed (wear gloves, use disinfectant cleanser to wash down surfaces, and wash hands carefully afterwards).
  

Instruct workers not to:

• Be careless about treating a co-worker's bleeding injury, or when giving rescue breathing.
• Eat, drink, smoke, apply cosmetics, or handle contact lenses in work areas that could be contaminated or when their hand could be contaminated.
• Keep food or beverages in refrigerators, cabinets, or work areas where they could be exposed to potentially infectious materials.
• Touch, with their bare hands objects that could be contaminated with bloodborne pathogens, such as blood-covered surfaces or tools.

Bloodborne Pathogens and Workplace First Aid
Some medical emergencies involve blood, and employees have no way of knowing whether the victim is infected with HIV or hepatitis. Some victims may not know themselves. It's estimated that 25 percent of Americans with HIV and most people with hepatitis C are not yet diagnosed.

When giving first aid, employees should:

• Cover open cuts, scrapes, skin rashes, and broken skin.
• Cover their nose, mouth, and eyes (mask and safety glasses).
• Wear disposable gloves from the first-aid kit.
• Use a pocket mouth-to-mouth breathing device for rescue breathing.
• Wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water after removing gloves.

Labels: Bloodborne Pathogens, Bloodnborne Pathogens, Safety Management

Report All Bloodborne Pathogens Exposures!




The following article is a condensation from the "Safety News Alert" newsletter from BLR (http://www.blr.com). It provides information on Exposure to bloodborne pathogens such as hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and HIV which can lead to serious illness.






Although healthcare workers and emergency first responders are most at risk, any employee can be exposed when giving first aid in the workplace, as well as in certain other situations.
Needlesticks or cuts from sharp objects contaminated with another person's blood are among the most common means of exposure to bloodborne pathogens. But any contact of the eyes, mouth, nose, or broken skin with blood or other potentially infectious bodily fluids can spread diseases like HIV and hepatitis.


One of the biggest problems with workplace exposures, says NIOSH, is that employees often fail to report the incidents. A recent study conducted by Johns Hopkins researchers found that nearly half of the medical students surveyed admitted that they did not report needlestick injuries.


Why Are Employees Reluctant to Report Exposures?
NIOSH says that employees give many reasons for not reporting exposures. For example, they:

• Do not think they will get an infection from the exposure
• Think the exposure may have been their fault
• Were not wearing the proper personal protective equipment
• Are embarrassed by the exposure incident
• Think it takes too much time away from work to report
• Think reporting may result in a negative performance evaluation
• Fear losing their job
• Think that wiping blood or other bodily fluids off their skin is sufficient
• Are not sure whether certain incidents should be considered exposures

Why Should Employees Report All Exposures?
First, says NIOSH, reporting exposures to blood or potentially infectious bodily fluids will help protect your workers, their families, and the public. It allows you to provide appropriate, prompt, medical assessment and treatment. Second, by documenting exposures, you can identify causes and prevent them from occurring again. This keeps your workers on the job, reducing costs in the long run.

How Can You Encourage Reporting?
NIOSH urges employers to take these steps:

• Establish a policy that all potential exposures must be reported.
• Identify and address issues, workplace culture, or barriers that discourage reporting.
• Make sure employees know what an exposure is.
• Explain the risks of infection.
• Establish an easy-to-use system for reporting and evaluating exposures.
• Ensure reports are handled promptly and confidentially.
• Make sure all employees and managers understand the department's reporting protocol.
• Cover reporting procedures in the initial and annual bloodborne pathogens training.
• Regularly remind your workers to promptly report all potential bloodborne pathogens exposures.
• Assure your employees that reporting an exposure will not affect their job or performance evaluation.
• Keep a record of exposures. Look for patterns of exposure and seek solutions to prevent future exposures.
• Show workers how reporting helps prevent future exposures.

Labels: Bloodborne Pathogens, Bloodnborne Pathogens, employees, Training