It may be more useful to look for patterns of symptoms rather than a specific contaminant. What are they and when do they happen? Read More
“Just because a home does not have a basement, does not mean they do not have radon. There is a major misconception that new construction with passive pipes, homes on slabs and homes with crawl spaces do not have radon. We have actually seen all three of these home types have higher radon levels than some with full basements.”
– Amanda Yeager, Radon Project Manager.
Reducing radon requires more than just sealing cracks in the foundation of a building. Caulking and sealing alone has actually proven to not be a reliable technique.
Years of extensive hands-on radon mitigation experience, research, and long-term studies of radon mitigation systems have formed proven mitigation techniques for any types of building such as homes, schools, and commercial facilities.
An active soil depressurization system is a reliable and cost-effective technique for reducing radon.
It pulls the radon gas from beneath the building and exhausts it above the roof far enough away that it will not reenter. Operating costs of this system are minor due to the low power consumption of the fan.
A plastic pipe is connected to the soil through a hole in a slab floor, a sump lid connection, or beneath a plastic sheet in a crawl space. A fan is attached inline with the pipe and continually exhausts the radon outdoors.
Shantel VanSanten, actress of the tv series Shooter and One Tree Hill, is a part of LUNG FORCE, the American Lung Association’s initiative that aims to unite women and their loved ones across the country to stand together for lung health and against lung cancer.
Shantel VanSanten
In 2013, VanSanten’s grandmother, Doris Dooymea, started experiencing respiratory issues, and was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. She was a non-smoker. Seven months later, Dooymea passed away.
PEOPLE magazine recently published an interview with VanSanten where she states, “It left my family and I in a lot of confusion, and to our ignorance, we did not know that lung cancer was the number one cancer killer and that it could happen to anyone. We made the grave assumption that it could only happen to people who smoked.”
The interview goes on to explain that after her grandmother passed, VanSanten and her family looked for answers.
“We searched to understand what the cause was, and we found it was from radon poisoning, which was found in [her] basement.” – VanSanten.
“It’s preventable if you just educate yourself to test your home. You should test for radon before you move in and continue to test every five to seven years for radon.” – VanSanten.
You can read the full article here: Shantel VanSanten Wants You to Test Your Home for Lung Cancer-Causing Radon: 'It's Preventable'
Radon is estimated to cause about 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. each year. It is invisible, odorless, and tasteless causing it to be even more dangerous.
It can be a problem is old and new homes, drafty homes, insulated homes, homes with or without basements etc.… House construction, local geology, and construction materials are all factors that affect radon levels. The gas can seep up through cracks in walls and solid floors, construction joints, gaps in suspended floors and around service pipes, cavities inside walls, and even the water supply. Because radon follows the faults in the ground, home levels can vary greatly from house to house. One house may have a level of 2 while the neighbor’s house may be at 36.
Radon can be found all over the United States, but there are areas where the levels tend to be higher on average. The map below shows what parts of the U.S. are in what zone. Red being the highest levels.
Testing and mitigating is a simple solution for radon. Testing can let you know if there are high levels that need to be mitigated, or it can put your mind at ease knowing you have low levels. To mitigate, active radon systems pull the gas from the ground and release it above the house.
Testing and fixing radon levels can be life-saving. It’s never too late to reduce your risk of lung cancer.
The fundraiser by the Franklin County Historical Society, Break Out of the 1880 Jail, is an escape room at the Old Jail in Chambersburg, PA. Teams are given instructions and rules, and the scene is set. The teams are then led handcuffed into the actual 1800s jail cells that are filled with furnishings. The door is locked and teams have an hour to unlock the door by uncovering clues. Games like these emphasize working together, communicating effectively, delegating tasks, and thinking creatively.
Baxter Group, Inc. is constantly developing and strengthening a positive culture of working together as a team. Bowling nights, riverside barbecues etc. Owner and CEO, Jocelyne Melton, really wanted to be a part of the escape as all proceeds benefit our local nonprofit historical society. Employees were excited to get locked up. BGI Radon Project Manager, Amanda Yeager, said “It was a great addition to our out of the office activities.”
They were split into teams. While one team was attempting to escape the jail, the other team ate pizza, and went on a tour of the jail that covered the history, taking them to the dungeon and gallows. Unfortunately, both BGI teams missed the cutoff time by mere minutes. One team missed it by only 3 minutes! Baxter Group Indoor Environmental Consultant, Jason Young, said “I got to see the other sides of my coworkers.” Darlene Wenger, the Baxter Group Office Assistant, said she would have never been able to do it herself, and BGI Office Manager, Miriam Vason, stated “It was a great team enhancing experience. I wouldn’t say building because we have a really good team already.”
They highly recommend going to the escape room. It’s perfect for team building, team enhancing, and just plain fun.
Spring cleaning is upon us!
People will dust, vacuum, and wash everything in sight. But what about cleaning what you don’t see every day? How often are HVAC filters getting changed? What about the dryer ducts?
Let’s go through some rooms. Read More
Educating and empowering businesses and communities to take charge of their health with safe, effective and environmentally friendly solutions.
Loading ...According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), April 2017 was the second wettest April in the 123-year period of record. Above-average precipitation was observed across a large portion of the nation, including much-above-average precipitation in the Mid-Atlantic. Even record precipitation was observed in parts of the Mid-Atlantic.
A wet basement can cause structural damage, create mold and mildew problems, and ruin materials or items stored in the space.
Just HOW does water get into your basement? Read More
Toolbox Talks are short pre-written safety meetings provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA). They are an easy way for foremen and supervisors to keep their workers updated and knowledgeable about workplace safety. They are designed to heighten employee awareness of workplace hazards and OSHA regulations. Read More
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