SCREENING ASSESSMENT
UNDERSTANDING THE RISKS INVOLVED IN CONTAMINATION
Living in a house which has been previously used to manufacture or simply to consume Prohibited Substances can make you really sick and expose you to all kinds of risks:
THE HEALTH RISKS
Exposure can cause a wide range of health problems including:
- Headaches
- Behavioural problems in children
- Respiratory issues
THE LEGAL RISKS
If you are a property manager, agent or landlord you are ultimately responsible for ensuring a property is safe to live in.
Legally, you face action from tenants who move into a contaminated home and also from clients who expect that you look after their property and prevent or manage contamination in the first instance.
THE FINANCIAL RISKS
Contamination levels greater than .50µg per 100cm2 are dangerous and require a property to be remediated which can be a very costly exercise. Remediation might involve treating or ripping out carpet, soft furnishings, removing furniture, wall linings, ceilings, electrical wiring, air conditioners, heating and insulation.
Warning signs that your property may have been used as a lab include:
- Strong odours (acrid, sour solvents, ammonia)
- Discolouration of structures, soil and pavement
- Burns, unusual stains, yellowed walls and rust in strange places such as on window fittings or door handles
- Lots of rubbish – bins, containers, plastic bags
WHAT’S INVOLVED IN A SCREENING ASSESSMENT?
Jim’s Building Inspections will test for the presence of Prohibited Substances on your property.
A swab like test is used to identify residue in quantities over .50µg per 100cm2 which is the point where contamination is considered unsafe. This test can single out contaminated areas and pinpoint any furnishings or materials too contaminated to be cleaned.
These safety recommendations are executed in accordance with the Australian Clandestine Remediation guidelines and are essential in:
- Confirming the conditions of the property
- To ensure the wellbeing and safety of any persons working onsite
- To meet sampling requirements needed by banks, insurance companies and property owners
- To help establish remediation costs
If the test returns unsafe levels of contamination in the property, Jim’s Building Inspections will hand the site over to Jim’s Hazardous Material Removal to implement a remediation plan and ensure the property is returned to a safe and hazard free state.
