Current Issue of IEC Discusses Tornado Damage and Indoor Hazards

PRLog (Press Release) - May 7, 2012 - The May 2012 issue of Indoor Environment Connections has brought additional media attention to a video that was recently released by the IAQ Video Network.  The video, “Tornadoes: Avoiding Indoor Environmental Hazards When Rebuilding,” was produced after a record number of tornadoes hit parts of the Midwest.

In response to the outbreak of tornadoes, the IAQ Video Network and Cochrane & Associates quickly developed an educational video meant to inform tornado damage victims of potential indoor environmental and indoor air quality (IAQ) hazards that may exist in their homes, offices and schools following a storm.

Hazards aside from live electrical wires and leaking gas lines may exist in many of these buildings.  They may include:

Mold
Mold can begin to grow in as short as 24 to 48 hours on many types of building materials and household belongings.  It’s important to begin drying materials as soon as it is safe to do so.  Some nonporous materials can be cleaned and salvaged, but most porous materials should be discarded if mold growth is present.  

Sewage, Bacteria, Viruses & Chemicals
Water damage and flooding caused by a tornado can bring not only rainwater into a property, but also viruses, bacteria and chemical contaminants  This may result from sewage that has leaked or from damaged chemical containers stored on the property.  

Asbestos
Many materials found in older homes contain asbestos.  When removing debris, these asbestos fibers can become aerosolized.  Inhaled asbestos fibers can cause respiratory disease, lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Lead
Lead is a concern because it is a highly toxic metal. The disturbance or removal of materials containing lead-based paint from properties built before the 1978 ban on lead in paint may result in elevated concentrations of lead dust in the air.

To view this video please visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBbpajoiYcE




To learn more please visit http://www.IAQTV.com or http://www.cochraneassoc.com, email info@cochraneassoc.com or call (602)510-3179.

About Cochrane & Associates, LLC & the IAQ Video Network
Cochrane & Associates is a business development, public relations and marketing consulting firm that specializes in the environmental, HVAC, mold and indoor air quality industries.  The company has worked with many of the industries’ leading institutions and companies and continues to be an innovator in the industry.  They are also the innovators behind the IAQ Video Network.