Michael LaFontaine has allowed me to post this excellent paper that details important, yet easily implemented steps to protect the health and safety of radon professionals, our clients, coworkers, and laboratory staff. While the emphasis is on current COVID-19 Pandemic, the procedures are relevant year round, especially during peak cold and flu season. I am proud to say that we have already improved our laboratory safety procedures as a result of this information. Thank you for your work and dedication to our industry Michael!
Yes, charcoal kits should be placed in their "sealed" configuration, e.g., lids put on and taped sealed. Then wipe down all outer surfaces with disinfectant.
Very insightful. Could someone prepare a similar, vetted protocol for mitigation contractors? Some concerns:
1. We have a lot of foot traffic from the wet lawn to the wet or filthy garage to the furnace room / bedroom closet / attic / etc. We skip the booties but use drop cloths on the finished floors. Bad?
2. Tool pouches are stuffed with tools and supplies in various pockets, and are bristling with exposed screwdrivers, etc. Do they need sanitizing between jobs?
3. What about large tools- shop vac, rotary hammer, core drilling tools, extension cords, etc?
4. How about tools that were used outside versus the garage versus inside the home?
We go from house to house with a truck full of tools and supplies. If I knew that some of our clients had Ebola or the Black Plague, I wouldn't send the trucks out. It wouldn't be feasible to adequately sanitize between jobs. Is there a viable protocol for the current threat?
Thank you for the guide. It is our opinion that it would be impossible to 100% ensure we could protect our crew and our clients from possible cross contamination of the virus. Given that our services are not emergency based, we have posponed all of our scheduled work 30 days. All but a couple clients have understood. Additionally we have sent most of our N-95 masks and some tyveks to a local hospital in need. If you have extra PPE supplies, many ER and ICU doctors and nurses need them to remain safe...I would encourage you to donate if you are able.
Stay safe...DT
Thank you for all your comments. Please note that it was expected that any testing at this point in time is expected to be very limited. Please be safe, practice social distancing and be mindful of the health of others and yourself. That being said, it would be good practice to adopt these guidelines when things return to some semblance of normalcy - at that point in time there may still be many people who are asymptomatic but infected by COVID-19, not to mention the many who are infected each year by influenza.
With regard to a similar guidance for mitigators, Nate Burden and I are working on one now - should be ready in about a week.