|
 First General Services Newsletter
April
2007
Vol.
7
Table of
Contents:
Editor's
Note...
Hello
friends,
Thought
I'd drop a little note to say Happy Spring!
Also,
I would like to extend a special "thanks" to all
of you who participated in our Water Damage Certification
Class earlier last month. Our industry benefits every time
people like you take time to better learn the trade!!!
I
hope everyone had a great Easter/Passover!
Sincerely,
Danielle
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Joke
of the Day...
Did
you hear about the new "Divorce Barbie"?
It comes with all of Ken's stuff.
www.joecasaletto.com
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Feature
Article...
Do
I Have A Mold Problem?
As a
restoration contractor, one of the many questions I
frequently hear is "Do I have a mold problem?".
Generally speaking, this question cannot be answered
immediately and without further investigation. I will,
however, give you a brief overview of things to research.
First, I
would like to point out that mold exists in our environment and it cannot be eliminated. Mold
becomes a
problem when indoor spore counts greatly exceed outdoor
spore counts of a property. To perform a proper mold
remediation does not mean to completely eliminate the mold.
A proper mold remediation will lower spore counts to an acceptable
level.
Mold will
not grow if its environment doesn't allow it to grow. The
perfect breeding ground for mold starts with moisture - whether it is
from a water intrusion or high humidity levels. Moisture,
food, heat, and darkness will all combine to create the
perfect environment for mold.
If water
damage occurs to your property, be sure to begin the dry-out
process as soon as possible. Accelerated growth of
mold will occur the longer a water damage sits unattended.
Molds such as Aspergillus, Penicillium, or Cladosporium can
begin to develop within one (1) to two (2) days. The
greatly feared Stachybotrys, which is commonly referred to as "black" or
"toxic" mold, can begin to grow within one (1) to
two (2) weeks after a moisture intrusion if the proper
conditions exist.
If high humidity
levels exist, which is most commonly found in lower levels
(basements),
install a dehumidifier that will accommodate the square
footage of the area. Heightened humidity levels can create
the same type of environment that a water-damaged property can
have. If dehumidifiers don't do the trick, then you should
contact a professional to further investigate and assist you.
Individuals
more susceptible to mold include infants, children, elderly,
persons recovering
from a recent injury, immune suppressed people or people
with chronic inflammatory lung disease (e.g., asthma,
hypersensitivity neumonitis and severe allergies).
If
you think that mold may be the cause of health problems
within your property, (especially since the extent of mold
damage cannot always be seen by the naked eye) I would
recommend that you have an industrial hygienist take
samples. These samples are then analyzed in various ways to
determine the extent or existence of a mold contamination
problem. If the results reflect contamination, a protocol
will be developed to rectify the situation.
For more
information regarding mold damage, please contact Danielle at
570-824-0680 or at dsciandra@firstgeneralservice.com
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FGS
News...
First General Hosts Water
Remediation School for Industry Professionals
First
General Services of NE Pa. hosted a special, two (2) day
training for industry professionals in Water Damage
Restoration, Wednesday April 4th and
Thursday April 5, 2007.
This special IICRC approved course was conducted by
the TMC Group, with Mr. Ron Valega as instructor.
Over
twenty individuals completed the seminar, including
representatives from several major insurance companies,
staff from other fire and water restoration companies and
also First General Services’ professional and field staff.
The culmination of the training was the completion of
the IICRC Water Damage Restoration Technician certification
test.
During
the course of the event, Mr. Valega (a veteran of over
thirty years in the restoration industry) covered topics
from initial damage survey techniques to drying equipment
utilized in water damage to unusual techniques.
Other topics included structural drying,
psychometrics, and new industry developments.
Additionally, attention was afforded to health and
safety factors for the employee technician, for the employer
on behalf of the employee, and for the people returning to
the environment following restoration.
First
General Services will be holding additional specialized
training events in the upcoming months and will keep its
industry affiliates apprised of the scheduling of such
offerings.
For
additional information on training offerings please contact Danielle at
570-824-0680 at dsciandra@firstgeneralservice.com
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Quote
of the Day...
-
-
"We
can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we
used when we created them.”
Albert
Einstein
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New Specialty
Services...
NEW!
INDUSTRIAL
STEAM CLEANING
NEW! DUCT
CLEANING
NEW! SODA
BLASTING
NEW!
CONTENTS
INVENTORY
About
our Newsletter...
First
General Services of NE
Pa. initiated
the Newsletter in an effort to maintain constant
contact and provide updates on service capabilities to our
colleagues in the restoration and insurance industry.
We are ever mindful of the changing conditions and
needs of the area in which we all work on a daily basis. We believe that in order to maintain and improve our
service, we will benefit from comments/suggestions from our
readers.
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We
take privacy very seriously. We handle your personal
information as we wish others would handle ours. First General
Services of N.E.Pa. does not share, sell or lease unsolicited
mail or email regarding new promotions or sales. If you would
like to remove your name from these notifications, please send an
email to dsciandra@firstgeneralservice.com
and request to be removed from our list. |
