For the last few months, more than ever before, people ask very sincerely, “how are you doing?” A global pandemic has impacted us either directly, or indirectly, in almost every corner of our lives. It’s a reasonable question. As a salesman with more than 25 years in the industry, customers call all the time who I haven’t spoken with since well before the virus invaded. The first question after so long an absence establishes that we are doing okay – physically. 

Many people in the environmental industry have heard of the terms “sick building syndrome” and “indoor air quality” (IAQ), but substantially fewer understand the concept of “building bake-out”. 

The fundamental idea on containment is simple: keep one or more contaminants in or out of an area. Quite literally, a containment is an isolation system.

Working for a state occupational safety and health program and as a safety and health consultant for over 40 years, I have learned the value of understanding the peculiarities of any chemical being used on the job site.

For many people, discussions of chemistry are not only confusing; such conversations are actually scary. Too many individuals do not appreciate just how valuable a basic understanding of chemistry can be to their efforts as a cleaning or restoration professional. 

Have you ever stopped to wonder what role chemistry plays in our professional lives as cleaners and restorers? To get a sense, all you have to do is go out to your shop or warehouse and stop in front of the shelf, cabinets, or storage room that has all your miscellaneous bottles, cans, bags and containers of miscellaneous chemicals.