Steve Bouzan joined YOUNG & Associates in 2019. Steve is a Council-certified Indoor Environmental Consultant and has been an environmental professional since 1999. As an IICRC Master Water & Fire Restorer, he has an extensive background both managing and consulting on many large and complex losses. Also an OSHA authorized instructor, Steve has taught numerous safety courses, as well as classes on water damage, fire restoration, mold remediation, and bio hazard clean ups.
In each edition of ANSI/IICRC’s S500 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration, dating back to 1994, the mitigation contractor’s stated first priority on a loss site has remained clear: “Eliminate safety hazards”. I am certain that SARS-CoV-2 (the virus) or COVID-19 (the disease) are not what the authors of the standard had in mind.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, hoarding disorders occur in an estimated 2 to 6 percent of the population and often lead to substantial distress and problems functioning.
My introduction to the field of bio recovery was in June of 2002. At the time I was employed at one of the “big box” emergency restoration franchises when the phone rang on what can only be described as a glorious Saturday afternoon, weather-wise.
