Business News

Mold Not the Only Source of IAQ Outbreaks

The growing number of mold cases and exposure lawsuits reported in facilities nationwide have managers keeping an eye out for spores inside their buildings. But a recent fungal outbreak in Indianapolis caused by bird droppings outside the state House building is a reminder to managers that they should be on the lookout inside, outside and around their buildings.

The Indiana State House recently hired contractors to scrub down the building’s ledges, window sills and landings after two House employees became ill with flu-like symptoms. Doctors diagnosed the employees with histoplasmosis, which is contracted when a person inhales airborne spores of the fungus. The spores thrive and will form huge colonies in the excrement of birds and bats.

State investigators found layers of bird droppings about an inch thick near the roof of the building and on window sills.

Contractors specializing in cleaning of limestone and precast building cleaning were hired for the job due to its special nature, says John White, director of facilities management.

For more information on biological and infectious waste scenarios to consider and how to clean them up, call the American Bio-Recovery Association at (888) 979-2272.

Summer temperatures are heating up work environments nationwide. Working in high heat and humidity can be dangerous, but if managers take simple precautions, they can help protect their employees from possible heat-related deaths and injuries. People who work in laundry and food service areas, and in un-air-conditioned buildings, for example, are especially vulnerable to safety and health hazards.

The two most serious forms of heat-related illnesses are heat exhaustion — primarily from dehydration — and heat stroke, which could be fatal. Signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke need immediate attention. If employers and employees look for dizziness; nausea; weakness; dry, pale skin or hot red skin; seizures; or mood changes — and take quick action, they may prevent a fatality.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Heat Stress Card lists tips and precautions that can prevent many heat-related deaths and injuries. Available in English and Spanish, the card is free to employers to distribute to their workers.

To protect workers, OSHA recommends that employers:

• Train all workers to recognize and treat the signs of heat stress.
  
  
• Ensure that all workers know who has been trained to provide first aid.
  
  
• Consider workers’ physical condition before assigning work in hot environments. Taking certain medications, lack of conditioning, obesity, pregnancy and inadequate rest can increase susceptibility to heat stress.
  
  
• Help workers adjust to the heat by assigning a lighter workload and longer rest periods for the first week of intense heat.
  
  
• Encourage workers to drink plenty of water and to avoid alcohol, coffee, tea, and caffeinated soft drinks that dehydrate the body.
  
  
• Encourage workers to wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.
  
  
• Alternate work and rest periods, with rest periods in a cooler area. Shorter, more frequent work-rest cycles are best. Schedule heavy work for cooler times of the day and use appropriate protective clothing.

More information about heat and sun hazards can be found at OSHA; at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) site, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) site.

Environmental services professionals might want to take a closer look at their facilities’ environmental management systems (EMS).

A recent statement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promotes broader use of EMS — management tools that are designed to help organizations fulfill their environmental responsibilities.

The use of EMS complements needed regulatory controls and enables a facility to better manage the environmental aspects of its operation. Included are such unregulated aspects as energy, water use, odor, noise, dust, and habitat preservation. The EPA views EMS as a tool for facilities to help accomplish EPA’s mission by ensuring compliance and promoting cost savings, operational efficiency and supplier performance.

The EPA is willing to support training and research on the costs and benefits of the systems to various U.S. workplaces.

Housekeeping Solutions and 0 magazines once again are working together with the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) to sponsor and develop educational seminars for building service contractors and housekeeping managers at ISSA/InterClean® USA 2002 Oct.15-18.

The seminars are included in the conference registration fee and do not require additional payment. Held at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, the educational sessions will take place all day Wednesday, Oct. 16, and cover a wide range of management, employee and operational topics. Thursday, Oct. 17 from 8:30-10 a.m. will be an all-attendee seminar.