IS MY HOUSE SAFE AFTER SOMEONE USED METH IN IT?
Methamphetamine (meth) exposure to a home or office will leave behind a host of chemicals in the walls, floors, carpeting and ceilings. This dangerous residue consists of mercury, lead, lithium and iodine and even meth itself. These are all highly poisonous substances to humans, especially young children and older adults. Exposure to the slightest amounts of these substances can result in damage to the central nervous system, liver and blood production. The health hazards from meth contamination exposure are innumerable.
If you suspect meth has been used in your home or office, you should have the property tested immediately. A home meth lab can cause a great deal of damage to a commercial or residential property. Detection can be difficult because residue from meth may be invisible. Having a property analyzed and assessed is imperative when exposure may have occurred.
In Arkansas as well as other states, meth lab contamination removal must be done by a certified contractor with experience in the process of cleaning properties that have had exposure to meth. SEA is an industry leader in the process of cleaning properties that have been exposed to hazardous chemicals. They have successfully cleaned thousands of properties that have been exposed to meth.
There are many myths that can be dispelled about the detection of meth exposure.
Common Myths Associated With Meth Contamination Detection
“You can tell there is meth exposure by the smell.”
This is an terrible method of detecting meth manufacturing. If you can smell it you are exposing yourself to the dangers. Current methods of manufacturing meth produce various odors during production; however, after a short time, there may be little or no odor at all. Never think that a smell is a reasonable indication of exposure; it’s unreliable.
“Just smoking meth is not a problem.”
Nothing could be further from the truth. Repeated smoking of meth in a home will leave dangerous levels of hazardous chemical residue that can cause serious health problems.
“High-end neighborhoods are safe.”
This is untrue. Many meth labs have been found in million dollar neighborhoods.
It is advisable to have your property tested when you suspect it has been exposed to meth chemicals. SEA can effectively handle the testing and the meth clean-up process to remedy air quality problems caused by meth. Below is a sampling of a typical meth lab contamination removal process. SEA, Inc. meth lab contamination removal
For more on SEA’s testing and clean-up process, please download our informational booklet here (PDF) or click the image to the right. In it you will learn the answers to the questions below, and many more!
What are some signs that a property is being used as a meth lab?
What is decontamination?
Who is responsible for cleaning up the property?
How is a property cleaned up?
How long will it take to get the property cleaned up?
What health risks are associated with the property?
How can I find out if a property was used as a meth lab?
If you suspect your home or office has been contaminated by meth, contact SEA Inc. You can contact us here, or you can call us 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 888-374-3442.
A Quick Guide for Industrial and Manufacturing Facilities By Keina Jennings, CEO/CFO, SEA
By Don Harkness, East Coast Regional Manager, SEA Ladder Inspection Safety At-A-Glance Ladders of all types are useful in the workplace. They are tools that allow workers to safely reach another level. Working at elevated levels poses plenty of risks, ones that have been covered in many regulatory training courses you have attended. Walking, Working Surfaces and Fall protection all focus heavily on the different hazards, of which SEA would be honored to share with you, but today, I want to focus on what needs to happen prior to using the ladder. The Right Tool for the Job And make no mistake, ladders are tools, and only perform as well as we, the operators, allow them to. So, what do we need to consider when picking the right ladder for our job? Several key factors include, but aren’t limited to: What are we doing? What style do you need? Step Ladders, extension ladders, and platform ladders all serve different purposes! What is the weight limit of my ladder? Note that the weight limit includes you and all the tools/equipment you are wearing, including fall protection! What height do I need my ladder to be? Ladders come in all shapes and sizes, so ensure you pick one that allows you to not put yourself at risk, even if it takes a little extra time to go and get it! What material should my ladder be made of? Most ladders are fiberglass but also come in several other materials. Make sure you plan for the task and don’t pick a metal ladder when working with electricity, for example The Most Important Step After choosing the ladder for our task, we need to perform an all-around inspection of the ladder. How often do we need to perform this inspection? Does it need to be documented? Ladders must be inspected before every use to ensure that no damage has occurred. As far as documentation goes, it is required that a documented inspection occur once a year, but your company policy can dictate more frequent documented inspections.
By Alison Jennings, VP Operations, SEA Sometimes it takes a real-life moment to remind us how quickly routine tasks can turn into injuries. Recently, I had a reminder of just how quickly something simple can turn into an injury. I was hanging a picture frame at home. Nothing complicated—just one of those quick projects you knock out in a few minutes. I picked the frame up by the sides to move it into position. As I lifted it, the bottom of the frame suddenly gave out. The glass dropped straight down and landed directly on the top of my bare foot. Within seconds, what started as a simple task turned into a trip to urgent care. The cut was deep enough that I ended up needing eight stitches. Looking back, there were a few things I didn’t think about in that moment. I was barefoot. I didn’t consider the possibility that the frame might break. I didn’t think about what could happen if the glass slipped or fell. It really wasn’t a dangerous job. I wasn’t using power tools or heavy equipment. I was just hanging a picture. But that’s the reality of many injuries—they don’t happen during obviously dangerous activities. They happen during everyday tasks when we assume nothing will go wrong.