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I’m fascinated about the basics of atmospheric monitoring, how to change the air in a confined space by supplying ventilation, and effective uses of ducting. Aren’t you? Relying solely on your nose (no matter how magnificent it may be) is not the right method to detect airborne hazards. Many gases dull the senses over time, and only a proper gas detection unit with a test probe can properly asses the atmosphere of a confined space. The shape and location of many confined spaces make them …

Hooray hooray it’s respirator day! There are so many to thank, air borne pathogens, asbestos and lead, don’t forget those sneaky little unseen particulates, and especially the CDC for all their hard work in making this happen. Without them, well, the N95 face mask would be just another underutilized tool in the fight to keep people safe and healthy. I’m sure that if Superman ever needed a mask (not for breathing or even a disguise, mind you. Those glasses and hairstyle are clearly a genius …

The average cost to remove asbestos in my neighborhood is between $270 and $540 per hour. The contractors will spend their expensive time setting up a containment area, removing the asbestos pipes or insulation material, and paying for proper specialized disposal. Professional inspections also need be conducted before and after the remediation to show there is no more particulate matter floating around. Inspections and analysis can run another $600 to $1000. Costs can easily reach $3000 or $4 …

People often ask us about asbestos-rated respirators. Everyone knows airborne asbestos, even in small quantities, is scary stuff. It can be very damaging to the lungs and is known to cause cancer. If you have work where you suspect or know for sure asbestos is present, you need to be extremely vigilant about using the proper safety equipment and making sure it is working perfectly. Because of the serious nature of asbestos removal, OSHA and other work safety standard agencies have exten …

Mold doesn't need much to get started. Supplied with a little moisture and some warmth it's very hard to completely eradicate once it gets started. In situations where there are large areas of mold, or when flooding or plumbing problems have occurred, it's important to follow recommended safety procedures while completing your work. There are a few basic precautions everyone working in moldy areas should follow. First, avoid breathing in mold or mold spores. Undisturbed, mold isn't like …

Tyvek suits from DuPont provide an amazing degree of protection from the elements of your work site. Here are some tips to make them work even better for you. Whether you're using your Tyvek suits for basic clean-up trying to keep the dirt and other non-hazardous materials such as oil, paint, and sewage away from your clothes and skin, or you have some really serious particulate matter about such as pesticides and radioactive particles, the goal is to keep it away from you. Tyvek has …

Some of the more dangerous particles to breath into your lungs are mold spores and asbestos particles. If you are working in areas with either of these factors, as a professional or a do-it-yourselfer, be sure your personal protective equipment (PPE) is up to the task you are setting for it. One of our most popular respirators is the Moldex 9000 Series Full Mask Respirator. The 9000 series masks offer full-face protection which is especially important when particles can also affect the mucous me …

We get lots of people contacting us wanting to know how to properly remove asbestos from their homes. The questions, and our answers, generally center around removal of asbestos from four main areas: furnace ducting, floor tiles, exterior siding, and the old popcorn ceiling. They are not all the same, and there are varying levels of success for the DIY homeowners. Almost everyone knows they are digging into a dangerous mess when they start any project dealing with asbestos. Professional …

One question I am constantly getting is which filter and mask to use in a particular application. The answer to this depends highly on what the context is, but this specific question has a lot of common things you might want to protect yourself against with a mask and filters: I’m working in a building doing demo work. I am knocking down block walls, working with fiberglass and there is asbestos present as well. I have noticed my eyes getting itchy from the fiberglass. What respirator a …

One of our most persistent lines of inquiry has to do with Asbestos in the home. As an avid Do-It-Yourselfer, this has been a subject of interest to me for years. Since I had a few questions along the same line of inquiry last week, I wrote this 'general' response. You can probably figure out what the questions were. For our homeowner DIY customers, we see Asbestos in 3 main areas; furnace duct work, popcorn ceilings and linoleum type (maybe not actual linoleum) flooring. The duct work …