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.