Disaster Response and Industrial Hygiene

[00:00:00] You might not realize it, but we are exposed to dozens of hazards every day.

[00:00:05] Can any of these hazards negatively impact your health?

[00:00:09] Definitely. This is The Exposure Scientist Podcast.

[00:00:13] My name is Alex LeBeau, and here we answer your questions and concerns on what you may be exposed to every day.

[00:00:21] Welcome to The Exposure Scientist Podcast.

[00:00:25] The views expressed in this podcast may not be those of the host or management.

[00:00:30] This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be considered health advice.

[00:00:34] It is recommended that you consult an exposure scientist to discuss the particulars of your exposure scenario.

[00:00:41] Hello and welcome to today's episode of The Exposure Scientist Podcast.

[00:00:45] One thing I'd like to focus on is the recent events in Florida and most specifically North Carolina

[00:00:53] where there have been lots of emergency response scenarios.

[00:00:57] There have been natural disasters from hurricanes Milton and Helene.

[00:01:05] And the typical or I'll say the way industrial hygienists think,

[00:01:12] typically think of events to be prepared for.

[00:01:17] You know, the mantra of industrial hygiene is anticipate, recognize, and evaluate, and control.

[00:01:25] And I think one of the things that is important is the anticipation aspect of that.

[00:01:32] It's almost, and I was in Boy Scouts, but it's almost akin to being a Boy Scout, always prepared.

[00:01:41] Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

[00:01:44] And, you know, there's only so many things that you can be prepared for,

[00:01:50] especially when there are fast-moving disasters like that.

[00:01:54] But I think this is something that should be considered for moving forward.

[00:02:00] I have made some changes here at my house.

[00:02:03] Again, I'm in Florida.

[00:02:05] I've made some changes.

[00:02:06] There's some other changes I am thinking about making as well.

[00:02:09] But these are things that you should consider in the event that something does happen.

[00:02:17] And no one can predict the regularity that something like this may happen.

[00:02:22] But I think it's important for you to consider ways to mitigate going forward.

[00:02:32] Now, there are things that are being done externally.

[00:02:35] But I think it's, you know, ultimately, there's going to be some responsibility on everyone's end to think about this.

[00:02:42] So let's go a few things together and think about one.

[00:02:48] Is the preparedness for yourself?

[00:02:53] What can you do to be prepared for these kind of scenarios?

[00:02:59] Everyone talks about, as silly as it sounds, talk is about like to-go bags.

[00:03:06] You know, down here, we're used to being ready for hurricanes.

[00:03:10] You know, I have stuff.

[00:03:12] Hurricanes are relatively, I'll say, easy to see.

[00:03:15] You have a few days to get ready for it.

[00:03:16] People, there's always preparation before hurricane season that we do down here in Florida.

[00:03:21] We get ready for it.

[00:03:23] We fill up water.

[00:03:25] We have extra fuel.

[00:03:27] We have everything.

[00:03:28] Typically, we use that time to get everything we need.

[00:03:32] There's even state-sponsor tax holidays during those times.

[00:03:35] You can buy generators.

[00:03:36] You can buy all kinds of equipment, get ready for those kind of scenarios.

[00:03:40] I think it's good to take advantage of those.

[00:03:42] I recently bought a solar panel or solar-powered battery generator that can be used in addition to the gasoline generators that I have.

[00:03:55] Those are just some small, simple things to get ready.

[00:03:58] Other things are, you know, this is the typical stuff you think about having a medication, having a supply.

[00:04:04] I now continually keep a backstock of stuff just in case anything arises.

[00:04:10] Just in case something comes up where not only are there emergencies, but there are some supply chain issues.

[00:04:18] I at least keep probably, you know, at least one or two extra of everything just to have it because you never know when you may not be able to get it.

[00:04:27] And it's not a COVID-like scenario where everyone's hoarding up everything and buying 100 pieces of it just because they know they're not going to find it.

[00:04:37] It's just having preparedness for the immediate advance, knowing that there may be a week or two that you just don't have those supplies.

[00:04:46] I think that's a good idea to sit down and think about often and revise that plan too.

[00:04:51] You know, I guess anticipate, recognize, recognize the plan will likely be necessary and you'll have to implement it in some form or fashion.

[00:05:00] Have all your documents, you know, what we do here, you know, have all our documents and waterproof containers, have everything ready.

[00:05:06] There are guides in the state of Florida says, you know, what to do in hurricane preparedness.

[00:05:10] I suggest if you look at any of the southeastern states, you can probably look up and find out some of those guidance just to have you prepared.

[00:05:17] I don't think everyone was really prepared for what happened in North Carolina.

[00:05:20] There is really no way to anticipate it, but there are other things that you can do.

[00:05:26] There are ways that, you know, one of the things that was a problem was communication.

[00:05:33] Communication lines were down.

[00:05:35] So what do you do now?

[00:05:36] There's an effort to increase cellular capabilities through satellites.

[00:05:44] That's great.

[00:05:46] I'm happy for that.

[00:05:47] But the, I don't think it's relying upon cell phones as a primary means during those scenarios.

[00:05:54] I don't think it's going to always be feasible.

[00:05:57] You know, they talk about, I don't have it.

[00:06:00] You can't see it behind me.

[00:06:01] There's a radio back there that's under the, if you see me on video, there's underneath the rainbow that my daughter drew.

[00:06:10] The radio is good source for information, but how do you make it a two-way communication stream?

[00:06:15] You know, what do you do to get prepared for that?

[00:06:17] You know, lots of people are like, oh, let's get Starlink out there, whatever.

[00:06:19] I bought a Starlink unit, I don't know, about six months ago.

[00:06:23] It's a great unit, great thing to have.

[00:06:25] It's got a roaming plan on there.

[00:06:28] It's very cheap per month, and you could turn it on and off as needed.

[00:06:31] That's something to consider having around.

[00:06:33] Again, a battery-powered type generator, something that can power your device, your Starlink, if necessary.

[00:06:40] As far as communications, you know, from my understanding and reading and viewing, one of the big things that was missing, pardon me, was the ability to use cell towers at all.

[00:06:58] And just people had nothing to get out.

[00:07:02] So one way that people have communicated a lot of times through time is the use of handheld two-way radios.

[00:07:09] Now, everybody, a lot of people may think of CB radios as a way to get that done.

[00:07:17] But there are other means of communication that are out there that have capabilities.

[00:07:23] Some of them you need licenses for, and some of them you don't need licenses for.

[00:07:28] And I think having some type of communication is important.

[00:07:33] And there are rules governing when you can use it.

[00:07:35] And a lot of the rules, I'll say, take a backseat during emergencies.

[00:07:39] You can look up that information on the FCC website for how to use, you know, radios, devices.

[00:07:45] But there's even a lot of YouTube videos if you go search out there, radio communications during emergencies.

[00:07:50] And from what I understand on the ground, the radios were the primary means of communication in and out there.

[00:07:57] So what I did, and I've always been interested in this since I was a kid.

[00:08:02] You know, I dealt with, you know, CBs were big in the 70s and 80s.

[00:08:06] And one thing I was always interested in was getting my ham radio license.

[00:08:10] So what the hurricane motivated me to do was get my ham radio license.

[00:08:16] Just have something where I am licensed to speak on these units in the event of an emergency.

[00:08:22] Now, things I've discovered during the studying and obtaining that license is understanding how radios actually work for two ways of communication.

[00:08:34] There are radios.

[00:08:36] There are what's called repeaters that are out there that are usually powered.

[00:08:40] There may be on different radio towers that broadcast your station, your message across a wide range.

[00:08:47] So this is something to keep in mind as a potential option for getting ready for emergency scenarios.

[00:08:54] And the radios are simple.

[00:08:56] I have a, if you see it on Ryan, I have a small little radio here that is considered a ham radio.

[00:09:02] There's another one.

[00:09:03] These are called balfangs.

[00:09:06] If you go search on Amazon, they're cheap.

[00:09:08] This is a $20 radio.

[00:09:11] And to have this as just a cheap emergency plan or something to, in case something goes wrong.

[00:09:17] Again, if you go look at the FCC rules when it comes to emergency scenarios, a lot of the rules that says you can't broadcast on these stations, they kind of get put aside.

[00:09:26] Because it's just an emergency situation.

[00:09:28] This is your primary route of communication.

[00:09:30] So I would suggest you go.

[00:09:31] Just take a look at some videos online on YouTube and say, you know, ham radios or radios for emergency preparedness.

[00:09:37] And a lot of these radios come up.

[00:09:39] And again, I'm holding one up.

[00:09:40] This is a $20 radio.

[00:09:43] You may want to get one.

[00:09:44] Of course, if you see it, it has a proprietary charger on it.

[00:09:47] There are some that do not have proprietary chargers.

[00:09:50] They can charge with USB-C.

[00:09:51] Just get something that's easy to charge.

[00:09:53] You think about it.

[00:09:53] How are you going to charge something easily?

[00:09:55] You're not going to carry around three different charging devices.

[00:09:57] You just want to use one or two cables for everything.

[00:10:00] So that's something I definitely recommend.

[00:10:02] In your go bag or having something in an emergency response, have this cheap little radio available.

[00:10:07] Exposure science covers a broad subject area, including toxicology, industrial hygiene, and risk assessment.

[00:10:14] From occupational, community, or environmental exposure, exposure scientists apply scientific methodologies to understand exposure risks and apply controls when necessary.

[00:10:24] We at Exposure Assessment Consulting have this expertise.

[00:10:28] Please reach out to us at info at exposureconsulting.com for a free 15-minute consultation to discuss the specifics of your exposure scenario.

[00:10:40] If cell phones are down, if something happens where you can't get communication, then you need help.

[00:10:46] Your road is washed out.

[00:10:48] Cell towers are down.

[00:10:49] You need medication.

[00:10:50] You broke a leg.

[00:10:52] What have you.

[00:10:53] These are going to be good options for you.

[00:10:55] So that's just something to consider.

[00:10:56] Nothing that I really honestly considered before this event.

[00:11:00] So I'm always learning and retooling and reevaluating my scenarios.

[00:11:07] So I think that's something that you should do as well when you are considering getting ready for emergencies.

[00:11:15] Now, again, even right now, I'm holding up to the screen.

[00:11:20] I have two pairs of glasses.

[00:11:21] I can't read without my glasses these days because I'm at that age.

[00:11:26] You know, what happens if I break one?

[00:11:28] Have a second set.

[00:11:30] Have something available.

[00:11:31] Always have a backup going.

[00:11:32] Just these are plans that I think you should write down and then revise.

[00:11:37] And then give it a few days and go back and read it and revise again.

[00:11:41] There's different hazards that present to us all the time.

[00:11:45] Sometimes they're chemical.

[00:11:46] Sometimes they're biological.

[00:11:47] And sometimes they're physical.

[00:11:49] And a lot of what went on with Helene was physical initially.

[00:11:54] That was a concern initially is there were physical hazards that created from floods and washing way

[00:12:00] and just being unable to communicate properly.

[00:12:06] And then after a period of time came the other hazards.

[00:12:11] So this is something else to consider.

[00:12:14] There are other potential hazards that are going to pop up from floodwaters, from flooding.

[00:12:19] There are waters that have probably mixed with sewage, mixed with chemicals that have been around.

[00:12:27] There may have been changes if there were any legacy contaminations or chemicals for any.

[00:12:34] And I don't know the particulars of the area, if there are any brownfields or any Superfund sites

[00:12:39] or anything that was up there where there were chemical plumes in the ground and the water.

[00:12:43] Changed the dynamics such that it moved some of those materials.

[00:12:48] I've seen some news stories on EPA evaluating some of those water samples

[00:12:53] and identifying detections of materials that they probably shouldn't be finding there

[00:12:59] based on the watershed that happened during these events.

[00:13:04] So I was talking earlier on emergency preparedness, and this is something to consider.

[00:13:10] If you're going in, let's just say, a facility, and it's a facility that was flood ravaged,

[00:13:17] what are the hazards you're going to be facing in there?

[00:13:19] You're going to be facing biological hazards from anything that's going to be growing in there.

[00:13:23] You're going to be facing biological hazards from any sewage that may have been

[00:13:27] backed up through the facility and is still in there in some form or fashion

[00:13:32] and some form of materials that are in there.

[00:13:34] What about chemical hazards?

[00:13:35] Are there any chemicals that were released into any waters?

[00:13:38] Is there any standing water in there?

[00:13:40] Does the water have any particular sheen to it?

[00:13:44] Does it look funny?

[00:13:45] That's something that all to consider in the aftermath.

[00:13:49] And when you're thinking about, is this facility somewhere I should go in and be assessing?

[00:13:54] Is this facility something that's going to be rebuilt?

[00:13:57] There are lots of different unique hazards that present during these events.

[00:14:03] I've even mentioned that, I'll just say the biological hazard as far as biologics.

[00:14:13] A lot of times down here, there are lots of wild animals down here.

[00:14:19] Water will bring snakes into the facility.

[00:14:22] Water will bring alligators into it.

[00:14:24] I remember a few years ago reading a story.

[00:14:26] One place that my family liked to go annually is Sanibel down in Florida.

[00:14:30] Sanibel got wrecked by a hurricane two years ago.

[00:14:32] The news reports are reporting that when they went into the post office down there,

[00:14:38] there's an eight-foot alligator in there.

[00:14:40] So things that you don't anticipate being in a facility because of the unnatural wake of

[00:14:48] the hazard, you have to consider as well.

[00:14:51] So these are all some things I'd like you at least to put thought in, to think about.

[00:14:57] Have things prepared.

[00:14:58] Have things ready.

[00:14:59] Have a preparedness plan.

[00:15:03] Have a safety plan.

[00:15:04] I mean, for example, it's nothing much, but I have a small camper that I tow with my truck.

[00:15:14] If the event happened where I needed to either evacuate an area or have somewhere to stay that was outside of the home and the home was damaged,

[00:15:26] I at least have a secondary backup area.

[00:15:29] I always have a plan.

[00:15:30] Always think of what am I going to do now?

[00:15:33] What am I going to do when it happens?

[00:15:35] What am I going to do afterwards?

[00:15:36] You know, what are the primary things I'm going to worry about?

[00:15:40] Safety in life.

[00:15:41] What are the secondary things?

[00:15:44] What are the things later on?

[00:15:46] Ensuring that none of the hazards that I'm worried about are presenting and presenting risk to me or my family members.

[00:15:54] So these are things that I think about for my family.

[00:15:57] I think it's something that the why is for you to think about for your family or for your business.

[00:16:02] That's something that we can, you know, we've helped businesses with as well.

[00:16:05] So that's just something to consider.

[00:16:06] What are you going to do for your business or for your employees?

[00:16:09] Again, think about a plan.

[00:16:11] There are guides out there.

[00:16:13] Again, I mentioned states have hurricane preparedness guys.

[00:16:15] Use that as your template.

[00:16:16] Sit down, write something out, walk away for a day or two, come back to it, revise it, walk away, revise it again, and do what you can.

[00:16:24] Now, everything has a budget.

[00:16:25] You know, again, as I mentioned, this little radio is $20 on Amazon.

[00:16:30] They're probably going to be even cheaper during Black Friday, maybe $15.

[00:16:33] Have something simple and easy to get ready for it.

[00:16:37] So that's just something to think about, consider for any potential future events, natural disasters or otherwise.

[00:16:48] Have a plan, revise the plan.

[00:16:50] Now, that being said, one thing that we're going to do this holiday season in 2024, it's going to be available on the website, is we're going to have a link to a few charities for disasters in Florida and North Carolina that we're going to be donating to.

[00:17:12] There are going to be links on there that at least kind of discuss the charities.

[00:17:16] We've already made some donations.

[00:17:17] We're going to be making more donations, and we may even be discussing matching your donations.

[00:17:22] So they're going to be easily available on our site.

[00:17:24] We're going to vet them so you know they're going to a good cause.

[00:17:27] So you can go to our site.

[00:17:29] If you want to make a donation, the links will be there directly to these people.

[00:17:34] You know, it's a time of year where, I mean, even the kids don't probably have a lot.

[00:17:41] So that's something to consider.

[00:17:43] We're going to be discussing, you know, Christmas gifts for the kids as well.

[00:17:47] You know, what's interesting is, and I was talking to somebody who lives in North Carolina, is, you know, first the worry was, okay, well, they don't have any food or water or anything.

[00:17:56] It's warm outside, and suddenly it turned winter.

[00:18:00] So the physical hazard changed from a hot human environment to a cold freezing environment.

[00:18:07] So that's just, again, something to be prepared for.

[00:18:09] So if you go to our website, exposureconsulting.com, we're going to have some links on there for you to directly to the donation page.

[00:18:17] We're going to be making them.

[00:18:19] If you let me know, one that you're interested in, we'll be making donations this holiday season to ensure that those people up there that have been hit hard by this are aided as best we can.

[00:18:35] If you have any questions, I'm happy to answer them.

[00:18:38] I'll geek out a little bit if you're happy.

[00:18:40] I'm happy to talk about the ham radio license process as well.

[00:18:45] Again, I've been interested since I was a kid, and it's taken me a long time to get this, but I sat down and said, you know, I need to do it.

[00:18:51] So it's just other ways to be prepared, other things to do.

[00:18:55] So if you have any questions or want to discuss this further, please feel free to reach out again for those links that we were able to vet for donations.

[00:19:04] Please go to the website, exposureconsulting.com.

[00:19:07] We can take you right to those places.

[00:19:09] You can give donations for the holidays.

[00:19:12] People are going to need stuff for the holidays.

[00:19:13] You're going to need stuff to live.

[00:19:15] We're going to continue to make donations and help as many people as we can.

[00:19:19] And we'd love your assistance to do that.

[00:19:21] So please visit the site.

[00:19:23] Let me know if you have any questions.

[00:19:25] And I appreciate your time today on the Exposure Scientist podcast.

[00:19:28] Thank you.

[00:19:30] Thank you for listening to the Exposure Scientist podcast.

[00:19:33] You can connect with us at our website, exposureconsulting.com, where you can book a private consultation and send in any questions regarding any episodes or our guests.

[00:19:43] See you on the next episode.