Minutes of General Meeting

September 20, 2006

Parksville Community Centre

12 noon

In Attendance:           Bruce Cownden, Chair             Egon Kuhn

Michelle Jones                          Lee Ringham

                                    Glenn McCurrie                        Manley LaFoy     

                                     Susanne Hale                             Jeff Hale          

Dan Jack                                    Jerry Schmidt

                                    Duane Round                               Kim Burden

                                    Helen Sims                                    Dave Bryan

                                     Marilyn Hayden, Recording Secretary

Guests:                       Councillor Charles Robinson, City of Parksville

                                    Rossano Pasquotti, Nova IPM Ltd.

                                    Rob MacCallum, St Paul Guarantee

                                    Lance Pizzariello, EBA Engineering

Bruce Cownden called the meeting to order at 12:05 P.M. and introduced the guest speakers. 

Rossano Pasquoti, NOVA Integrated Pest Management LTD. – Moulds to new construction

·        Warmer and wetter weather on BC’s West Coast make the perfect conditions for mould.  Molds are from the Fungi family and need food & moisture or in other words, wood & rain.

·        Lumber used in construction on Vancouver Island typically originates from the interior of BC.  This lumber is kiln dried to 19% moisture content.  No fungicides are used on this lumber.  This means: if this lumber is sufficiently re-hydrated, it will become infested by fungi or molds.

·        Last season a survey found that over 75% of crawl spaces showed some level of mould infestation within crawl spaces and basements.  Regardless of the size of infestation, all molds should be cleaned away.

·        20% of the population is affected by molds with health symptoms of rashes, skin and eye irritation, difficulty breathing, asthma attacks, fatigue, depression, headaches and other aches and pains.  The longer an individual is exposed to mold, the more stressed their immune system becomes.

·        Category of mold infestations:

o       Small – under 10 sq. ft.

o       Medium – between 10-30 sq. ft.

o       Large – larger than 30 sq. ft.

·        If a mild to moderate mold infestation abatement takes place prior to the “Enclosed” stage of construction, the following procedure is recommended:

o        HEPA Vacuum the visible mold patches.

o        Thoroughly clean all the wood surfaces with an appropriate cleaning solution.  Bleach is not recommended as carcinogenic substances are created when sodium chloride is used to clean molds.

o        Follow everything with another HEPA vacuum to the entire space.

o        This cleaning procedure is referred to as a HEPA sandwich.

·        If the infestation is severe, or is taking place after the “Enclosed Phase”, the affected area may need to be contained and negative air pressure, routed through HEPA air filters, incorporated into the cleaning scheme.  Everyone concerned needs to be informed and properly protected.  The occupants of the structure may need to be temporarily relocated if they have already moved in.  Anticipate a minimum of at least one week for a professional cleaning, depending on size.

·        Work Safe BC requires that any employees that are required to work in a space that has any level of mold infestation, be informed of the infestation and wear the appropriate safety equipment, this would include plumbers, electricians, insulators, tin workers, etc.

·        If a mould infestation has developed on a structure while under construction, the general contractor is responsible for properly dealing with it, regardless if the mould is dead or alive, growing or not.

·        NOVA IPM’s Blue B treatment can be applied as soon as the wood members are assembled to prevent melds from growing on the treated wood members.  It can be done naturally, safely and with recognized “Build Green” products.

Questions:

·        How do you get rid of mould in an existing house?

o       HEPA sandwich washing product and HEPA vacuum the area.  If severe, the drywall will have to come off and carpets etc.  The house would have to be stripped down to the wood.

·        Does the treatment stop at the floor?

o        Most mould is found in crawl spaces and full basements.  If the mould is inside the vapour barrier you must do something about it.  Mould outside the vapour barrier poses no health hazards.

·        What is the guarantee and the cost?

o        10-year guarantee.

o        70 cents per footprint with an average cost of $750.00.

·         What chemicals are used?

o        Borates – liquid solution – non-corrosive.  The same product used for taxidermy

Rob MacCallum, St. Paul Guarantee Insurance Company – Mould and the responsibilities of the guarantor

·        Mould is not a warrantable defect.

·        Clean up of the mould is the builder’s responsibility.

·        A house built in April has a wet environment if not ventilated.

·        Encourage a summer switch to control the moisture – 30-50% is a comfortable moisture level.

·        Problems usually develop due to a leak.

·        Educate the customer, bring in a consultant, but do not bring in a remediation specialist till further investigation.

Questions:

·        When it is not obvious why mould is in the house, how do you determine the cause?

o       People locking up the house tightly and not maintaining proper ventilation is a usual cause.  The 1^st year is crucial.

·         What do you think of the Humidex System?

o        Big fan of the system.

The meeting broke for lunch.

Lance Pizzariello, EBA Engineering – Pigeon droppings

·        13 years experience and manager of EBA’s Environmental Health and Due Diligence.

·        The purpose of this presentation is to present an awareness level understanding of the health risks and remediation strategies associated with the disturbance of bird droppings.

·        The presentation is an experience and theoretical knowledge based course which supports practical learning experiences for persons in the construction trades industry.

·        Federal Legislation is provided in the Canada Labour Code “Part X, Hazardous Substances”.

·        In BC the management of hazardous materials in the work place is regulated by WorkSafeBC under the Workers’ Compensation Act.

·        Mould is found in bird faeces.

·        The general public’s affection toward birds translates into a serious underestimation of the health risks associated with pest birds.  People who would never tolerate a colony of rats living in their attic will turn a blind eye towards pigeons entrenched in the rafters of their roof.  In terms of hazards, disease and damage, the two pests are quite similar.

·        Workers who, through the course of their workday work in, or clean up, areas contaminated with bird droppings are potentially at risk of being exposed to bio-hazardous materials.

·        Fungi and bacteria present in bird droppings cause several diseases; The high nutrient content of accumulated bird excrement provides an excellent growth medium for organisms of potential human health concern; Humans become infected by inhaling dusts containing dried faeces, urine, or respiratory secretions of infected birds; Other sources of exposure include a bite from an infected bird and handling the plumage and tissues of infected birds; The main disease organisms found in bird droppings are Cryptococcosis, Histoplasmosis and Psittacosis.  These types of infections are rare, however, they have occurred.

·        Safe cleanup is based on protection from spore inhalation and minimization of spore dispersal.

·        Washing facilities for hand and face, consisting of a dish soap detergent and water solution for decontamination of personnel.

·        When working with accumulated droppings wear a NIOSH-approved respirator (full face recommended) with P100 filters.  Dust and particle masks will not provide adequate protection and are not approved for this use.  Workers must be fit tested for respirator use prior to beginning any work, requiring a respirator.

·        Wear safety goggles if not wearing a full face respirator, rubber gloves, Tyvik suit with elastic cuffs or seal the glove/sleeve interface with duct tape to protect personal clothing from contamination with infective organisms.  Rubber boots or Tyvek shoe covers should be worn if workers will be walking on the bird droppings.  It is recommended that workers shower and thoroughly wash their hair at the end of their shift.

·        When bird carcasses and/or faecal deposits requiring large-scale remediation are encountered, the building owner, management, and/or employer should notify occupants in the affected areas of its presence.

·        Individuals with persistent health problems that appear to be related to bioaerosol exposure should see their physicians for a referral to practitioners who are trained in occupational/environmental medicine or related specialties and are knowledgeable about these types of exposures.

If you would like copies of the brochures provided with these presentations, please contact Marilyn.

  25/01/2012