Remember remember the 5th of November… and don’t throw these items in your bonfire!

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Remember remember the 5th of November… and don’t throw these items in your bonfire!

Backyard bonfires are a great way to celebrate Guy Fawkes Night with your friends and family but, as with burning anything, it can come with certain risks.

We’ve put together the top 5 things you should definitely avoid burning at all costs which you may not have thought about before. Keep your family safe and don’t burn:

1.Anything plastic

Anything plastic is a big no-no. When burned, plastic items release toxic chemical fumes into the air that are damaging for both you and the environment such as dioxins (chemically-related compounds that are persistent environmental pollutants), furans (colourless, flammable, highly volatile liquid with a boiling point close to room temperature) and styrene gas (a colourless

oily liquid that evaporates easily and has a sweet smell, although high concentrations have a less pleasant odour).

  1. Accelerants

We know it can be quite frustrating if you have gathered all of your friends and family around to relax and enjoy being in the outdoors with the bonfire – but it’s not quite as roaring as you’d hoped. The temptation to ‘get the fire going’ and apply an accelerant can be strong, but don’t! Flammable liquids are unpredictable and cause explosions. Try adding small amounts of dry kindling instead.

  1. Wooden Pallets

You may think that anything wooden is perfect to throw on a bonfire – but you’d be wrong unfortunately. Some wooden pallets are treated with the chemical methyl bromide (a colourless gas at room temperature with a sweetish odour at high concentrations. Human exposure to high concentrations of methyl bromide can cause central nervous system and respiratory system failures and can harm the lungs, eyes, and skin). Unless you know for sure it hasn’t been treated with chemicals it’s best to use something else!

  1. Painted Wood

We talk a lot about the dangers of lead in paint and this is no exception. When any painted wood is burned it will release toxic fumes that can be both damaging to you and the environment. Lead in paint can occur, in particular, when the wood is old which can be incredibly toxic to all in the surrounding area.

  1. Magazines

Burning everyday items like junk mail, magazines and wrapping paper might seem like a good idea as a way to get rid of them but ink printed on the paper can release toxic fumes into the atmosphere and affect those standing too close. Best to avoid those items and recycle them instead.

 

 

If you are concerned about any other items you’re thinking of burning on your bonfire then get in

touch using the form below or calling 01239 287 777

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Five reasons to choose Envirochem

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Five reasons to choose Envirochem

 

Our team at Envirochem work with environmental consultants, corporate and individual clients throughout the UK, and strive to maintain a fast turn around on all projects. Our head office is in Fareham, Hampshire, between the major south coast cities of Portsmouth and Southampton.

 

Here are five reasons that we believe make us stand out from our competitors

 

1) Our broad range of services

 

We are a one stop shop for our clients; offering the wide range of services that we do is a rarity in our industry. We have a variety of different services including asbestos testing, soil analysis and testing, WAC testing, noise and dust monitoring, legionella and water testing, air quality surveys and training courses. From testing samples that have been sent into the lab to going out and testing on large areas of land as a team we are able to offer so much to clients.

 

2) Our experienced team

 

The team consists of more than 50 full-time members of staff. From consultants, project managers, occupational hygienists and chemists to analysts, surveyors and laboratory technicians. All of the technical analysts hold appropriate certification applicable to their role. Our staff have impressive academic backgrounds ranging from masters and PhDs to degrees in chemistry and marine environmental science.

 

3) We give clients bespoke solutions to their problems

 

Not only do we specialise in a huge variety of services we can also give clients bespoke solutions to their problems. We not only give our clients the results of tests, we also work with them to understand what they mean, giving them our expert advice about moving forward with the next steps safely.

 

4) We’re UKAS accredited

 

We are accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) for various asbestos testing, asbestos surveying,  chemical and microbiological analysis services. These are carried out in accordance with in-house procedures based upon guidance from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Our clients can be assured they are receiving a high quality service that is based upon the most up to date regulations.

Please see our schedule of accreditation on our website for a full list of what we are accredited for.

 

5) We offer 24 hour call out, seven days a week and national coverage

 

We’re proud to provide national coverage with a fast and efficient turnaround. With our 24 hour call out service open seven days a week, we always accommodate our clients needs.

 

 

If you require expert analytical services for any environmental, health or safety concerns contact our team today.

Air Quality

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A documentary was recently aired on the BBC regarding air quality in urban areas.  The aim of the program was to reduce air pollution levels on one day on a highly polluted street in Birmingham. This was completed through a number of initiatives from reducing car usage and even the implementation of green infrastructure.

To test these changes a number of air quality measurements were taken before and during this event showing some brilliant results.

We have been undertaking some sampling to assess the air quality in a house next to a busy road to see how often and by how much limits are being exceeded. This primarily requires the monitoring of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) that are some of the most harmful pollutants and linked to the use of diesel cars. This is an area where more work and monitoring is required with 40,000 deaths link to poor air quality in the UK each year.

 

Watch the program here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09m2djj

 

For information on our services please fill out the form below or call us on 01329 287 777

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New case of Legionnaires Outbreak

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Legionnaires’ disease is a potentially fatal form of pneumonia and everyone is susceptible to infection. The risk increases with age but some people are at higher risk including:

  • People over 45 years of age
  • Smokers and heavy drinkers
  • People suffering from chronic respiratory or kidney disease
  • Diabetes, lung and heart disease
  • Anyone with an impaired immune system

Here is a recent tragic article regarding a new Legionnaires outbreak;

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-135034/Man-dies-new-Legionnaires-outbreak.html

 

If conditions are favourable, the bacteria may grow increasing the risks of Legionnaires’ disease and it is therefore important to control the risks by introducing appropriate measures outlined in Legionnaires’ disease – The Control of Legionella bacteria in water systems (L8)

 

For more information on legionella risk assessments and UKAS accredited legionella tests please call us on 01329 287 777 or fill out the form below;

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Asbestos exposure while on dusty building sites

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A pensioner, civil engineer from Lyndhurst has died due to exposure to asbestos on dusty building sites while working on various sites between 1971 and 1990.

He died on December 19th 2017 and the senior Cornoner Grahame Short has said the Man died as a result of his exposure to asbestos over the years and the death has been recorded as death by Industrial disease.

For more information on this story please click here

Statistics from the latest HSE report on health and safety at work

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Statistics from the latest HSE report on health and safety at work

Health and safety in the workplace is generally improving, however many statistics are remaining the same and still far too high. Poor occupational hygiene practice can result in the cost of work related ill health which it itself has a financial cost. It is down to both employers and employees to work together to reduce these impacts.

Here are some of the key statistics from the report:

  • 3 million working people are suffering from a work-related illness
  • 7 million working days were lost due to work-related ill health (2016/17)
  • 13,000 deaths each year are estimated to be linked to past exposures at work, primarily chemicals or dust
  • 2,542 mesothelioma deaths are due to past exposure to asbestos.
  • £14.9 billion is the estimated cost of injuries and ill health, due to current working conditions

Read more about these statistics and trends here: http://www.bohs.org/latest-health-safety-statistics-encouraging-cost-work-related-ill-health-still-high/

 

For any enquires of our Occupation hygiene services please call on 01329 287 777 or fill out the form below;

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Dangers of Drinking Untreated water.

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Here is a recent article into the dangers of drinking untreated water, that could potentially contain E-coli.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-5231793/Latest-trend-drinking-raw-water-potentially-deadly.html

 

Here at Envirochem, in our Microbiology lab we offer a variety of water testing services including;

  • Drinking Water Or Potable Water

UKAS Accredited tests:

  • Total coliforms
  • E.coli
  • Total viable counts 2 days at 37°C
  • Total viable counts 3 days at 22°C
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa and/or species;

For more information on our services please call on 01329 287 777 or fill out the form below;

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VOC’s in the Workplace

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VOC’s in the Workplace

Volatile organic compounds are often found in paints, cleaning agents, fuels and sealants that are common products around the workplace and at home. Impacts from exposure to these chemicals can range from mild symptoms of nausea, headaches and skin irritations to serious consequences of damage to the kidneys, liver and central nervous systems.

If you are concerned that exposure is causing harm to you or your employees we can provide monitoring to identify whether concentrations are above harmful levels.   

Read more about VOC’s in the workplace here: http://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/9834-controlling-voc-exposure-in-the-workplace

 

For more information on this service or all our services please call on 01329 287 777 or fill out the form below;

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Nuisance Dust

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Nuisance dust or particulates are classified as airborne materials that, at high levels, can get into the eyes, ears and nose as well as coating surfaces. It can be a problem from a wide range of industries and activities from traffic, bakeries, construction and demolition works.

Recently we have carried out a monitoring on a number of demolition projects in urban areas where the impact of nuisance dust on the public is the greatest. The monitoring taking place can include respirable dust, inhalable dust, real time particulate monitoring and dust discs positioned on the perimeter of sites.

 

For more information on this and all our services please call on 01329 287 777 or fill out the form below;

 

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Envirochem offer UKAS accredited quantification of asbestos in soil.

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Analysis will identify:

  • The presence of asbestos
  • The asbestos product type
  • The percentage of asbestos present within the sample
  • Documented values to enable the client to interpret the results to their specific requirements

Analysis will enable the end user to:

  •  Assist with the determination of the Waste Acceptance Criteria
  •  Identify potential for asbestos exposure adjacent to contaminated land
  •  Identify the total percentage of asbestos present in the sample

Prices start from £25.00 (+VAT)

For further information on analysis of soil for asbestos, please contact us for fast and efficient service on 01329 287 777 or fill out the form below; 
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