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4 hour CPD course
PAS 64 compliance training
We are pleased to offer the following half day training course for PAS 64 compliance.
The course is designed for all stakeholders in the PAS 64 Code of Practice for the
recovery of water damaged buildings.
The course sets out to provide the delegate with a broad based
understanding of:
1. Over view of PAS 64
1.1. The PAS 64 stands for a Public Awareness Specification and is a fast track route to
a code of practice. The PAS route was taken because the industry recognises the
urgent need for a guidelines and voluntary standards and this took two years to
achieve. A National Standard can take many years to develop and be costly too.
The PAS 64 was funded by the Environment Agency and supported by a technical
committee comprising of Universities contractors, loss adjusters and the Association
of British Insurers. As there are no national guidelines, standards of training or
compliance issues regarding flood restoration it was deemed a fast track route to
provide stakeholders with a code of practice.
1.2. As a code of practice it is not mandatory to follow, but as best practice, it provides
contractors and claims managers the ability to prove the standard and results of
their work. The PAS 64 provides a recognisable route from start to completion and
most importantly verification.
1.3. The verification of work completion to a recognisable standard is increasingly
important.
1.4. Historically contractors invariably failed to provide drying and sanitation certificates
and even where they were provided they were full of caveats and disclaimers. In
essence many were not worth the paper they were written on.
1.5. This “Code of Practice” provides all stakeholders with protocols and standards
which the industry experts believe is reasonable and will provide compliance to
health and safety or legal requirements.
1.6. The alternative to a recognisable code of practice is an individually produced
document that will vary from contractor to contractor and will invariably not contain
the specific and important issues which stakeholders require.
2.
Who are the stakeholders?
2.1. The stakeholders range from insurers to landlords, tenants and of course the
contractor.
2.2. The importance of recognising all stakeholder requirements and benefits is
considered because they are joint and several. A building contractor may require
Building Forensics 7 Wagtail Walk Beckenham Kent BR3 3XH Tel 08700 789 999
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evidence of that a property is dry and decontaminated or clean to a recognisable
standard to obtain payment.
2.3. Equally the building contractor following the drying contractor may require proof that
substrates are dry to enable him to lay floors and renovate the property.
2.4. Prior to the PAS 64 there was no real demarcation line and handover of wet or
contaminated buildings often led to disputes between all stakeholders due to poor
practice and woolly or meaningless certificates based on nothing more than
subjective opinion
3. Beneficial approach
4. The benefits of recognisable and verified results are obvious considering the alternative
is “Trust Me” but there are significant side issues which are increasingly becoming
relevant and include;
4.1. Mortgage companies reliance on verified work to safeguard their collateral after
flood restoration and the prevention of the following issues.
4.2. There is increasing likelihood to investigate the environmental health of buildings
and contamination related to flooding or damp homes can be identified years after
the event if not properly removed or neutralised.
4.3. The cost of decontamination and drying after restoration can be extremely high and
can result in the disposal of home contents due to issues of economic salvage in
some instances.
4.4. Property owners who may have to declare to prospective purchasers damage or
flood events and verified certification that works were completed often in
accordance with PAS 64 would struggle without verified evidence.
4.5. Personal injury claims originating from possible contamination remaining post flood
event and which wasn’t independently certified clean. In the event occupants
develop illness, simple air sampling can identify contaminates years after the event
and blood or urine test can confirm exposure and link to medical records.
5. Investigation and scope of work issues
5.1. The contractor must use relevant technology and delegated authority to undertake
inspection and investigation to identify the scope of work, triage and potential for
secondary damage.
5.2. Where identified contractors and specifies should install mitigating controls to avoid
secondary damage.
5.3. Intrusive inspection may be required with associated soft demolition
5.4. Investigation protocols may include:
5.4.1. Pre loss conditions
5.4.2. Building and construction defect likely to affect end results
5.4.3. Thermal imaging (Infra-red camera)
5.4.4. Moisture mapping
5.4.5. Humidity ratio
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6. Identifying contamination types, levels and location
The presence of contamination must be considered in the following areas:
6.1. Pre loss and existing
6.2. Normal biological ecology amplified by current and or likely environmental conditions
6.3. Contamination brought in by the flood event
6.4. Off gassing from wet materials
6.5. Volatile organic compounds (chemicals) brought in by flood water
7. Contamination can be identified in the following ways:
7.1. Risk and Hazard assessments
7.2. Visible detritus
7.3. Odour
7.4. Air sampling
7.5. Swabs
8. Site risk and hazard assessments
8.1. Site specific risk and hazard assessments should be made in order to protect the
contractor’s employee, the property occupants or visitors. Hazards may include
those normally expected in a flooded property such as electric shock, slip, trip and
fall and of course asbestos.
8.2. Asbestos should be considered present in any building built prior to November 1999
when its use was generally banned.
8.3. The risk of asbestos exposure is a major consideration in domestic properties where
occupants do not generally have a duty to identify and manage the risk
8.4. Commercial buildings or Non domestic building owners do have a legal obligation to
manage the risk of asbestos exposure enshrined in the Control of Asbestos
Regulations 2012 and this may be fulfilled to some extent by the completion of a
management system which records the known or presumed presence of asbestos.
8.5. The significant risk in reliance on this management system is that it rarely
accommodates hidden asbestos.
8.6. There is a legal requirement to undertake a pre demolition or major works, intrusive
survey prior to work to establish if asbestos is present in voids and cavities, and this
report would be most unlikely in a flood or water damaged property.
8.7. There is therefore a requirement to assess asbestos risk where damaged substrates
may require removal or access through.
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9. Occupant medical risks and exposure issues
9.1. Contractors should assess the risk to health of building occupants during the
restoration life cycle.
9.2. There may be recognisable hazards and variable risks to different people.
9.3. Apart from physical and visible hazards the contractor should assess the potential
for ingestion and inhalation and skin adsorption or contact.
9.4. Various assessments should be undertaken and these include:
9.4.1. Age of occupants or those likely to be exposed.
9.4.1.1.
The very young may not have developed a fully functional immune
system
9.4.1.2.
The elderly may have a diminished immune system
9.4.2. People on long term prescription drugs
9.4.3. Alcohol and drug abuse
9.4.4. Long term prescription drugs
9.4.5. Those receiving chemo or radiotherapy
9.4.6. The atopic population and this may be due to genetic or other unknown
factors such as historic chronic exposure to contaminates
10. Goals and targets of drying
10.1.
The drying goals should be established as soon as possible and these should
reflect equilibrium levels of un affected materials and or recognised standards.
10.2.
The target in terms of time should be assessed and although sometimes
difficult a rough estimation as to days weeks or months provided to the client.
11. Environmental controls required to contain contaminates or focus drying
11.1.
It is essential to environmentally control the work area to prevent unnecessary
secondary damage and contamination occurring.
11.2.
Secondary damage includes the migration of contaminates and moisture
through uncontrolled evaporation, air movement in the form of laminar and turbulent
pathways and stack effect where warm air current move contamination and moisture
upwards.
11.3.
Consideration should be given to critical barriers, negative and positive air
pressure differentials.
12. Cleaning and sanitation issues and the likely efficacy of products and systems
12.1.
The efficacy of most disinfectants should be challenged as most are applied
wrongly or for the wrong reason.
12.2.
Cleaning should always pre-empt any application of sanitation products which
are invariably deactivated by soiling.
12.3.
Many types of product are available but all have limitations which should be
understood
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13. Historic failures in sanitation and air cleaning leading to PAS 64
13.1.
Killing organisms will result in dead organisms which may be even more
harmful than when alive and the contractor should be fully conversant with the
principles of sanitation and decontamination.
13.2.
Air scrubbing through negative pressure units rarely provides anything other
than localised benefit and if or where used the contractor should provide calculation
on air changes per unit and space.
13.3.
Dilution of contamination through ventilation may be considered but evidence
of dilution should be provided from disturbed air test
13.4.
Make up air should be assessed because without this, extract cannot be
efficient
13.5.
Various types of sanitising agent exist but none will provide efficacy against
all likely biological hazards and therefore evidence of specific efficacy should be
provided
14. Biological amplification issues and controls
14.1.
Bio amplification is likely when suitable environmental conditions exist.
Suitable conditions can vary but normally expected triggers are temperature,
moisture, organic loading such as cellulose material or flood residue.
14.2.
It is therefore imperative that engineering controls are established to prevent
bio amplification.
14.3.
Monitoring of biological activity should include both live and dead or (viable
non-viable) organisms and fragments in accordance with relevant international and
or British Standards.
14.4.
Controls may include and involve temperature, humidity, air movement,
cleaning, negative or positive air pressure, filtration and critical barriers.
15. Investigation and inspection issues
15.1.
The investigation of a water damaged property should include all aspects of
current or primary damage coupled to possible escalation of issues resulting in often
unnecessary secondary damage
15.2.
Controls may be expected to include moisture mapping to assess or measure
moisture movement or increases of humidity, and moisture content.
15.3.
The inspection should revolve around known or presumed health hazards,
material damage and potential for escalation
16. Innovative technologies in decontamination
16.1.
There are now adequate peer reviewed papers to prove that killing biological
activity can be expected to result in different though possibly more harmful residue.
16.2.
The basis of most decontamination can be identified as;
16.2.1. Removal
16.2.2. Neutralisation (usually chemical contaminants)
16.2.3. Dilution (usually chemical contaminates)
16.3.
With regard to bio amplification dilution is not pertinent because subject to
environmental conditions biological agents can usually double every 15 minutes.
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16.4.
Removal of biological contamination is the correct protocol and this requires
thorough cleaning.
16.5.
The WHO recognise that airborne contamination is the major health hazard
from inhalation.
16.6.
The clearing of air can be very expensive and time consuming but new
technologies exist which can bring contamination down to horizontal surfaces within
minutes allowing surface cleaning to replace air scrubbing.
17. Self-evaluation
17.1.
Contractors should make preliminary assessments of damage, contamination
and environmental controls required to mitigate and stabilise the event.
17.2.
Risk and hazard assessments can be made which should err on the side of
caution
17.3.
It is a clear requirement therefore that contractors or indeed Environmental
Hygienists making such assessments have a clear understanding of the required
parameters.
17.4.
The contractor or Environmental Hygienist should assess not only the
hazards but also the risks to both contractors and occupants or visitors
18. International testing and verification standards
19. The target for environmental cleanliness and dryness should revolve around recognised
protocols and standards. These may include both British and international standards
where no alternative British standards exist.
20. Typical the International standard of ISO 9000 provides guidance for verification which
identifies the requirement of third party independent assessments.
21. Measurement techniques used by contractors
21.1.
The measurement of moisture should be made initially by radio and
conductive meters coupled to humidity ratio of the air.
21.2.
Thermal imaging may be used to assist in the identification of cooler areas
which may be a dew point or water content issue
21.3.
Surface sampling may be assessed by ATP swabs
21.4.
Initial air quality can be assessed by Enzyme air sampling for mould presence
(Not quantitative or genus)
22. Accreditation
22.1.
Those that undertake environmental assessments which may affect building
occupants health or property values should be suitably qualified and competent.
22.2.
While the possession of a degree may not necessarily provide evidence of
competence a high level of technical competence training and equipment supported
by recognised laboratory services should be required
22.3.
The Chartered Institute of Environment\l Hygienists typically provide
associates and members suitably qualified and also the internationally accepted
Council Certified Indoor Environment Consultants
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23. Verification (third party independent certification)
23.1.
The PAS 64 requires verification that the scope of work has been completed
to the target and goals initially stated.
23.2.
The verification must be objective and be compiled from measurement and
verifiable facts
23.3.
The crux of ISO 9000 is the independent third party verification process which
recognises possible conflict of interest if undertaken by the same person or
company that undertakes the work
23.4.
While third party verification may be more expensive than contractors
providing their own, the following issues should be considered:
23.4.1. Would a contractor fail himself and do the work again for no cost?
23.4.2. Would a prospective property purchaser accept in house own assessments in
place of independent third party assessments?
23.4.3. Can a contractor be fully conversant with all requirements of environmental
hygiene assessments?
23.4.4. Will the contractor have suitable scientific equipment and resources?
23.5.
The professional Environment\l Hygienist will undertake surface and airborne
contamination measurement using the following systems:
23.5.1. Measurement of chemical TVOCs by PID or gas chromatography
23.5.2. Measurement of total spore counts of mould in accordance with BSI EN
19000-16
23.5.3. Measurement of dead bacteria and endotoxins etc
23.5.4. Levels of inhalable dust and particulates
23.5.5. Confirm contractors assessment of drying
Cost of course £175
CPD points available please contact for more information PAS64@999team.org
Building Forensics 7 Wagtail Walk Beckenham Kent BR3 3XH Tel 08700 789 999
email forensic@999team.org
web www.buildingforensics.co.uk