2020 sure has been a unique year! The third decade of the 21st century started like most other years and…well, let’s just say everyone now has a new vocabulary most likely consisting of words and phrases such as social distancing, quarantine, flatten the curve, and Dr. Fauci.

No industry is more affected by trends in the insurance business than a restoration firm. Insurance companies provide both a source of revenue to restoration firms in the form of claims payments and the insurance that enables companies to stay in business.

As we seek to return to normalcy without a vaccine, COVID-19 confronts us with a troubling reality. We spend 90% of our time indoors in the U.S. and Europe, and scientific evidence indicates we are nearly 20 times more likely to be infected by the virus indoors than outdoors. 

Have you yet found words to even begin to describe life over the last five or six months? I know I haven’t.

Tens of thousands of U.S. businesses are gearing up to reopen after being closed down for months, but do they really need to hire a professional to perform deep disinfection services prior to reopening?

For the last five years, we have dedicated an issue of R&R to celebrating Women in Restoration. This year, we are thrilled to celebrate BELFOR’s technical trainer, Cara Driscoll. You can read more about her journey in the restoration industry here.

As more businesses and public spaces are available to reopen and return to regular operations, it is important to make sure the necessary precautions are taken. Remediation for COVID-19 requires more than just basic cleaning. 

Most of us know not all PPE is created equal. When it comes to the SARS-CoV-2 or Coronavirus, there are many questions about proper PPE. Before that can be answered, the first question that needs to be asked is: what is the task being performed? 

The IICRC is now accepting nominations for its Board of Directors, a volunteer group of industry leaders representing the interests of Registrants while leading the direction of the organization.

As I sat down to write this month’s column, I tried to think back on what the world was like just two months ago, when I wrote my editor’s note for the March issue. That column was on hockey, and embracing change. My guess is the last two months aren’t exactly the kind of change any of us had in mind.