Protect Your Family and Home: Hire a Professional Contractor

This week's post is an excerpt from a recent News Release from National PHCC.  The information is timely with so many people in New York and New Jersey still recovering from Hurricane Sandy.  However, these guidelines should be used whenever you hire someone to work on your home.

Tips to Help You Make the Right Choice

Finding a Contractor:

• Check local licenses.  Many localities require that plumbing, heating and cooling contractors be licensed to ensure that all health, safety and building codes are followed.  If that's the case where you live, ask the contractor for his or her license number.
• Confirm insurance credentials.  Ask to see the contractor's proof of liability and worker's compensation insurance.  This is to make sure you're not liable for accidents on your property.
• Ask for references.  Ask the contractor for names of previous customers in the area.  Contact those people and ask their opinion of the work.
• Check reputation.  Call you Better Business Bureau to see if any complaints have been filed against the contractor.
• Look for the PHCC logo.  PHCC members are professionals who are dedicated to using the latest technology, promoting energy and water conservation, and following all health and safety regulations. For a list of contractor members in your area visit phccweb.org.

Working with a Contractor:

• Request an estimate.  To get an idea of the overall cost, ask for an estimate.  Choosing a contractor should be based on more than just the lowest estimate.  Quality of work and reliability count, too.
• Ask about financing for system replacements.  You be able to lighten the financial burden of replacing water heaters, boiler and other plumbing or HVACR equipment.
• Don't pay in cash.  It can be tempting to seek a quick fix, but make sure you have a paper trail for all transactions and services completed on your home - especially after a disaster.

A Time to Give Thanks

As we embark on the holiday season, it is good to stop and give thanks.  Thanks for family, friends, colleagues and all the good that is in your life.  Thanks for the ability to perform a job that you enjoy and feel good about.  Thanks for the all the "stuff" you have both tangible and not.

When giving thanks, you should also remember the blessings in disguise.  This moments might not have seemed to benefit you at the time, but may have helped teach you a lesson or opened your eyes in some way. 

The time between Halloween and New Years can be the busiest both professionally and personally for people in the plumbing and heating trades.  This is the time that boilers decide to stop firing or toilets decide to act up just as your client's guests are due to arrive.  This is the time that Mother Nature shows just how much wind, rain, snow and ice she can throw at us...maybe even in the same day.  If this is your peak season, you are juggling taking on as much work as possible with personal or family needs.

Stress can bring about a whole host of issues including fatigue, illness and a general state of mental chaos.  During this time, it may serve you to take a few minutes out of your day to give thanks.  It is proven that those who meditate reap many benefits such as relaxation, improved health and better focus. 

No need to try to get yourself into a crazy yoga position.  All you need to do is think of everything, large and small, you are thankful for.  By doing this type of meditation, in the morning when you wake up and before you go to sleep, you may find that the craziness of your life feels just a little less crazy. 

 

Increased Business in the Trades Seen Following Hurricane Sandy

There is no doubt that Hurricane Sandy was historic.  Record storm surges, high winds, snow and the size of this storm have left people along the eastern seaboard and all the way across the country to Wisconsin feeling the effects.  Tens of thousands of people are without power, even over a week following the storm.  Hundreds of others are without homes.

Those who work in the trades, especially plumbers and electricians have seen a sharp increase in work.  As The Washington Post reports, this increase has helped businesses that have been struggling with the recent economy.

There is no question that work is good, even in the worst conditions.  The pressure to take on more work and complete work quickly can create even more issues.  Tradespeople need to remember that while there are many in need, maybe even their own families, quality work should always prevail.  It is also possible that you can be performing repairs to work that was done by a homeowners or unlicensed contractors.  Given the extreme circumstances of flooding for several days, this can make the workplace dangerous.  Safety first should be your mantra.

For homeowners, it is likely that many people will be offering services.  It is very enticing to hear that your repairs can be completed right away and for a decent fee.  However, you need to make certain that anyone you hire to perform work is a licensed contractor in the trade that they are performing the work.  Hiring an unlicensed person leaves you open to bigger headaches in the future.  If you are in need of a licensed plumber, you can find a contractor in your area on the National PHCC website.

Disaster Recovery Tips

This week's blog post is a long one, but in the wake of Hurricane Sandy this information is very important and timely.  Source: QSC Toolbox Talks, Sponsored by A.O. Smith, November 2012

 

The damage that the winds and water left behind can seem impossible to fix. Getting back to normal will take some time and effort. The first thing you need to do is begin to heal emotionally. Get in contact with counselors who can help you sort through the mixed feelings of surviving a natural disaster while losing many of the meaningful things you treasured. Living through a destructive event like a hurricane can lead to depression and other post-traumatic effects if you try to ignore it.

Before you begin clean up, take inventory with a camera so you have documentation for any insurance or other damage claims. Try to be ready for the impact of seeing may of your personal items, furniture and your home disturbed or destroyed by the storm and flooding.

Reentering Buildings

• Stay away from damaged buildings or structures until they have been examined and certified as safe by a building inspector or other government authority. You may want to wait to return to buildings during daylight hours, when it is easier to avoid hazards, particularly if the electricity is off and you have no lights.
• Leave immediately if you hear shifting or unusual noises that signal that the structure may fall or if you smell gas or suspect a leak. If you smell gas, notify emergency authorities and do not turn on the lights, light matches, smoke, or do anything that could cause a spark. Do not return to the house until you are told it is safe to do so.
• Keep children and pets out of the affected area until cleanup has been completed.

General Safety Measures

• Have at least two fire extinguishers, each with a UL rating of at least 10A, at every cleanup job.
• Wear hard hats, goggles, heavy work gloves, and watertight boots with steel toe and insole (not just steel shank) for cleanup work.
• Wear earplugs or protective headphones to reduce risk from equipment noise.
• Use teams of two or more people to move bulky objects. Avoid lifting any material that weighs more than 50 pounds (per person).
• When using a chain saw, operate the saw according to the manufacturer's instructions, wear appropriate protective equipment, avoid contact with power lines, be sure that bystanders are at a safe distance, and take extra care in cutting trees or branches that have gotten bent or caught under another object. Use extreme caution to avoid electrical shock when using an electric chain saw.
• If there has been a backflow of sewage into your house, wear rubber boots, rubber gloves, and goggles during cleanup of the affected area.
• In hot weather, try to stay cool by staying in air-conditioned buildings, taking breaks in shaded areas or in cool rooms, drinking water and nonalcoholic fluids often, and wearing light and loose-fitting clothing. Do outdoor activities during cooler hours. For more information on protecting yourself against heat-related illness, see the CDC Extreme Heat website.

Carbon Monoxide Exposure

• Never use generators, pressure washers, or other gasoline, propane, natural gas, or charcoal-burning devices inside your home, basement, garage, or camper—or even outside near an open window, door, or vent. Carbon monoxide—an odorless, colorless gas from these sources that can cause sudden illness and death—can build up indoors and poison the people and animals inside.

For more information, see the CDC Protect Yourself from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning After an Emergency website.

 

Mold and Cleanup

• Remove and discard items that cannot be washed and disinfected (such as mattresses, carpeting, carpet padding, rugs, upholstered furniture, cosmetics, stuffed animals, baby toys, pillows, foam-rubber items, books, wall coverings, and paper products).
• Remove and discard drywall and insulation that has been contaminated with sewage or flood waters.
• Thoroughly clean all hard surfaces (such as flooring, concrete, molding, wood and metal furniture, countertops, appliances, sinks, and other plumbing fixtures) with hot water and laundry or dish detergent.

See the CDC Mold After a Disaster website and the CDC Flood website for further guidance on safely reentering flooded homes, cleaning up flood or storm water, worker safety issues, and mold cleanup issues.

Electrical Issues

• If electrical circuits and electrical equipment have gotten wet or are in or near water, turn off the power at the main breaker or fuse on the service panel. If you must enter standing water to access the main power switch, then call an electrician to turn it off.
• Never turn power on or off or use an electric tool or appliance while standing in water.
• Do not connect generators to your home's electrical circuits without the approved, automatic-interrupt devices. If a generator is on line when electrical service is restored, it can become a major fire hazard and it may endanger line workers helping to restore power in your area.

For more information, see the CDC How to Protect Yourself and Others from Electrical Hazards Following a Natural Disaster website.

 

Hazardous Materials Issues

• Call the fire department to inspect or remove chemicals, propane tanks, and other dangerous materials.
• Wear protective clothing and gear (for example, a respirator if needed) when handling hazardous materials.
• Wash skin that may have come in contact with hazardous materials.
• Wear insulated gloves and use caution if you have to remove a car battery. Avoid any acid that may have leaked from a car battery.

 

For information about possible dangers posed by chemicals, see the CDC Chemical Emergencies page. For information about possible dangers posed by pollution from large farms and agricultural facilities, see the CDC Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) website.

 

Hygiene and Infectious Disease Issues

• After completing the cleanup, wash with soap and water. If there is a boil-water advisory in effect, use water that has been boiled for 1 minute (allow the water to cool before washing). Or you may use water that has been disinfected for personal hygiene use (solution of 1/8 teaspoon of household bleach per 1 gallon of water). Let it stand for 30 minutes. If the water is cloudy, use a solution of 1/4 teaspoon of household bleach per 1 gallon of water.
• If you have any open cuts or sores that were exposed to floodwater, wash them with soap and water and apply an antibiotic ointment to discourage infection.
• Seek immediate medical attention if you become injured or ill.
• Wash all clothes worn during the cleanup in hot water and detergent. These clothes should be washed separately from uncontaminated clothes and linens.

For more tips on washing your hands, see the CDC Hand Hygiene After a Disaster.

Water Issues

• If the building is flooded, the waters may contain fecal material from overflowing sewage systems and agricultural and industrial waste. Although skin contact with floodwater does not, by itself, pose a serious health risk, there is risk of disease from eating or drinking anything contaminated with floodwater.
• If you have any open cuts or sores that will be exposed to floodwater, keep them as clean as possible by washing them with soap and applying an antibiotic ointment to discourage infection. (See also Hand Hygiene After a Disaster.)
• To reduce cold–related risks when standing or working in water which is cooler than 75 degrees F (24 degrees C), wear insulated clothes and insulated rubber boots, take frequent breaks out of the water, and change into dry clothing when possible.

See also Keep Food and Water Safe after a Natural Disaster or Power Outage and Reentering Your Flooded Home.