ILLICIT SUBSTANCES
Illicit Substances
Illegal drug activity is cause for concern for tenants, property owners/ managers and real estate agents, due to the potential health and safety risk to the occupants. The primary cause of concern is the manufacturer, growth and use of illicit substances. < Drug houses > are categorized into three types; Clandestine Laboratories, Cannabis Growth Houses and Smoke Houses.
Clandestine laboratories (clan labs) are places where illegal drugs (methamphetamine) are manufactured. Criminal procedures often use rental properties to manufacture these drugs, other properties such as commercial, remote rural and hotel and motel accommodation are commonly utilised as well. Drug residues and waste chemicals can be absorbed into the building structure and furnishings.
Cannabis grow houses are properties extensively modified to grow large crops of cannabis hydroponically. Structural damage and mould infestation can be the consequences.
Smoke houses are residences in which illegal drugs such as meth, heroin and cannabis are smoked regularly but not manufactured. The high volume of smoke will be absorbed into the walls of the property by any furniture present.
Health Risks
Clan labs can pose the highest risk to human health, exposing the < residents > to high quantities of meth and other toxic chemicals used in its manufacturing process. While police may remove all substances from the property, the contaminant residue absorbed into the buildings structure and furnishings can not be removed as easily. Health effects most often associated with exposure to illicit drug contamination are not specific to drug contamination and may be due to nutritional or medical conditions of other environmental exposures. Contamination induced risks to occupants vary depending on the illicit drug activity. Symptoms to exposure include,
- Behavioural changes,
- Sleep disturbance,
- Respiratory problems.
Smoke houses generally have much lower amounts of residues in comparison with the clan labs. Children, pregnant women and the elderly are at most risk from this type of exposure.
Risks in cannabis grow houses are generally low. There is a very low rate of chemical residue accumulation, the higher risk is associated with excess mould growth due to the high levels of moisture which could occur from high quantities of indoor plants. Mould exposure can cause respiratory issues, especially in people of higher risk (children, asmatics, and elderly).
Testing for Contamination
Testing normally consists of swab sampling of at least five suitable suspect surfaces within the premises followed by quantified laboratory analysis for meth and associated chemicals.
A result above the Health Investigation Level (HIL) of 0.5 ug/100cm2 for meth triggers further investigation, cleaning and or re-testing.
How do you remove contamination?
A contaminated property should be cleaned by an industrial/ commercial cleaning contractor.
In most instances illicit drug residue remediation will require as a minimum several washes with an alkaline detergent. The cleaning process should follow the DOH recommended procedure.
Occupational Hygiene
Occupational hygiene entails identifying, evaluating, and managing workplace environmental risks to health. Our services cater to diverse needs, crafting solutions for complex hygiene and safety challenges. Our expert staff collaborates with you to implement effective hygiene management systems, crucial for meeting site and legal standards.
Asbestos & HAZMAT
We are a Licensed Asbestos Assessor (LAA) and provide hazardous material management to building owners, property developers and facility managers to meet specific client requirements including identification and risk assessment of hazardous materials, development of detailed hazardous material management plans and supervision of hazardous material remediation works.
Environmental Monitoring
Monitoring services are tailored to your needs, ranging from ENVSS staff attended monitoring to autonomous stations with remote telemetry and alerts. You can access real-time data, make informed decisions, and generate reports via our Client Portal. We understand industry demand and meet client expectations by building our equipment to be flexible, mobile, efficient, accurate and robust.
Noise & Vibration Monitoring
Our noise and vibration services cover both regulatory compliance and occupational health, with services ranging from noise monitoring, blast monitoring, earplug fit testing, human vibration testing and more. Our monitoring devices are set and forget with remote software, allowing us to capture a wealth of data spread over a timeline of your choosing.
WHY CHOOSE US?
-
LICENSED
Environmental Site Services use only trained, licensed asbestos assessors and occupational hygienists -
OUT OF HOURS
Our airborne fibre monitoring service is available all day, every day -
SAME DAY SERVICE
Same Day turnaround available 7 days a week -
AUSTRALIA WIDE
Investigations and remediation services metro and regional areas -
NATA ACCREDITED TESTING
NATA accredited volumetric sampling and analysis -
REPORT
Comprehensive report, guaranteed!