Emily Kil is co-owner of Eco Bear, a leading biohazard remediation company in Southern California. An experienced entrepreneur, Emily assisted in founding Eco Bear as a means of combining her business experience with her desire to provide assistance to people facing challenging circumstances. Emily regularly writes about her first-hand experiences providing services such as biohazard cleanup, suicide cleanup, crime scene cleanup, unattended death cleanup, infectious disease disinfection, and other types of difficult remediations in homes and businesses.
ABC Company is committed to maintaining a violence-free workplace. As a result, we have created this workplace violence policy, applicable to all of our team members. As a member of the ABC Company team, you need to familiarize yourself with this policy. Statement of Policy ABC Company has a duty to ensure a safe workplace…
The United States government has recognized the fact that first responders are on the front lines in the fight against COVID-19. As a result, the CDC and OSHA have issued strict COVID-19 guidelines for all first responders, including police, firefighters, and EMS workers. All first responders must follow these potentially life-saving protocols. The following safety…
Identifying a meth contaminated area in a building or elsewhere is not always an easy task. The process of identifying whether a particular location was used as a meth lab necessitates a comprehensive site assessment. There are some specific elements associated with a site assessment that needs to occur as a prelude to determining whether…
Workplace safety has taken on a new dimension as California and other states attempt to move towards “reopening” the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Manufacturing and distribution centers face unique challenges as they attempt to balance meeting the demand for their products – including through online sales – while keeping their workers safe and healthy…
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that has been approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Fentanyl is prescribed legally because of the immediate effect it has on a person’s brain, a reality that makes the drug useful in a number of situations. Fentanyl is also used illegally for the manner it…
Fentanyl is an extremely powerful opioid drug in the same family as heroin and morphine. The major difference between fentanyl and these other opioid drugs is found in the fact that fentanyl can be 100-times more powerful. There is a variant of fentanyl known as carfentanil that is a remarkable 10,000-times stronger than other opioids…
The drug that really is contributing to fueling the opioid epidemic in Southern California and across the United States is fentanyl. Fentanyl addiction, along with fentanyl overdose, is a major health problem in the country in this day and age. There are some specific facts we all need to understand when it comes to fentanyl…
Oftentimes, water problems in a residence or business are very evident. For example, directly after a flood, sewage backup, or broken pipe, water and even other substances in a property are obvious. With that said, there are also situations in which potentially damaging moisture issues in a home, business, or other location are not readily…
A tremendous amount of attention has been paid to the opioid epidemic in recent years. The drug fentanyl is regarded as one of the biggest killers in the opioid epidemic, according to in-depth research and analysis undertaken by National Public Radio (NPR). The abuse of and addiction to fentanyl has resulted in a major health…
Meth manufacturers, also known as meth cooks, as well as methamphetamine users have a lack of respect for life. Meth cooks have one focus – to make as much of the drug as possible, no matter who is at risk. Meth users also have one focus – to obtain and use as much of the…
Meth remains a widely used drug in Southern California and across the United States. Understanding the essential mechanics and workings of a meth lab can be illuminating when it comes to meth abuse and addiction. During the 1990s, meth labs came to the attention of the public at large. During much of the 1990s, people…
In more recent times, an issue has arisen regarding the contamination of rental cars with methamphetamine residue. This issue arises for two primary reasons. First, there are individuals who obtain rental vehicles and then smoking meth in the car, truck, or SUV. This can result in a considerable level of contamination in the travel compartment…
Long gone are the days in which meth was manufactured in broken down trailers in distant wooded enclaves in rural areas in the United States. In today’s world, meth is cooked in places that include rental apartment, condos, townhomes, and single-family residences. In addition, meth remains a widely used illegal drug. Many people smoke this…
There certainly are situations in which water and moisture issues in a home or business are obvious. On the other hand, there are instances in which harmful levels of moisture in a home or business may not be as readily evident. In addition, even when a water issue is obvious in part of a home…
Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate drug. Fentanyl legally is used as a strong pain reliever and as an anesthetic during surgery. Fentanyl is also illegally used and manufactured in illicit labs. The illegal use of fentanyl has been a major reason why the opioid crisis has accelerated in different locations in the United States, including…
Are you coping with a rodent infestation? Are you looking to place traps in or around your property to eliminate rats or mice? It’s fairly easy to set Victor Rat Traps. These traps are inexpensive and effective rodent management systems. However, many people have apprehensions about settings these quick-snapping devices. In this article, we show…
Hantavirus is a disease that is spread through the urine, saliva, and feces of rodents, such as the deer mouse and cotton rat. When a person is exposed to infected specimens, they risk contracting a rare, dangerous lung disease called pulmonary syndrome. In May 1993, the United States recorded its first known outbreak of hantavirus.…
Water damage in a business or home can have devastating consequences. From structural damage to the potential spread of disease, water infiltration and damage at a commercial or residential property can present extremely serious problems and issues. As part of understanding how to defend against and remediate the negative consequences of water infiltrating a property,…
In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) is a publicly funded Medi-Cal program that provides disabled, blind, and low-income elderly individuals with comprehensive in-home care so that they can safely remain in their homes. IHSS is funded by federal, California state, and California county governments. IHSS workers are hired to provide a wide range of services and supervision.…
Methamphetamine is defined as a powerful and highly addictive stimulant that affects a person’s central nervous system, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse. Meth is one of the more commonly used illegal drugs in Southern California and across the country. History of Methamphetamine Methamphetamine has a long history. Meth originally was developed in…
The COVID-19 pandemic has upended life in Southern California, across the United States, and around the world in many different ways and on various levels. The novel coronavirus pandemic has resulted in an increase in the use of mind-altering substances. This includes an increase in both the use and manufacturing of methamphetamine. The uptick in…
In any large or midsize community, bank-owned properties that sit vacant for what can be a more extended period of time are rather commonplace. Unfortunately, vacant bank-owned properties are not necessarily monitored with sufficient regularity. As a result, a bank-owned residential or commercial property can become a site where inappropriate activity occurs. This can include…
A considerable degree of media and public attention has focused on the manufacture, sale, and use of methamphetamine over the course of the past two decades. What has been overlooked to a considerable degree is the impact meth has on children. Specifically, children oftentimes are in close proximity to meth labs, to methamphetamine supplies maintained…
Finding out that you have a rodent infestation in your home or business can be a frightful realization. There are a number of various rodents that include rats, mice and larger rodents like moles among others. There are some easy tricks to bait for rats and get rid of your rat problem that all homeowners,…
Across the United States, casinos and other types of gaming destinations and venues shut down in February and March as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In June, in many locations across the country, casinos and other gaming venues began the process of reopening in generally limited ways. All of this gives rise to questions…
Meth users and addicts put their health at serious risk. In point of fact, the overall lifestyles of meth users and addicts can fairly be described as hazardous, oftentimes extremely perilous. Meth users and addicts have hazardous lifestyles in a number of different ways. Meth Users and Their and Children Time and again when people…
Fentanyl abuse and addiction has become a major health crisis in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2018 is the last year the CDC has a full set of data available regarding fentanyl use and the use of other opioid drugs. In that year, over 31,000 people died…
Methamphetamine has been and remains one of the most widely abused illicit drugs among people in Southern California and across the United States. Meth use can have a significant impact on a user’s body. Understanding the impacts on the human body puts the dangers of meth into sharp focus. Meth and the Brain A long-running…
If you are a property owner or manager, you are probably going to need bait stations at some point. Rodents pose some serious health risks to exposed individuals. When you ignore these contaminants, you risk exposing yourself to several serious and even fatal diseases. Properly labeled bait stations enable you to quickly and efficiently eliminate…
When home and business owners are left to cope with a crime scene, they often fail to recognize the hazards in front of them. Crime scenes are unsafe environments, as many contain a wide range of hazardous residues and materials. If you’re stuck with the responsibility of cleaning up a crime scene, you must hire…
As of 2020, 36.6 percent of people in the United States reside in homes of different types that they rent. The majority of these rental residences are found in multiunit buildings of different types, including apartments, duplexes, condo buildings, and adjoining townhomes. As an aside, there are a number of communities in Southern California in…
Understanding the comprehensive range of hazards associated with methamphetamine, having a basic understanding of the most commonly followed methods of meth production can be helpful. Meth production is also known as meth-making or cooking meth. Meth has been and remains a major health crisis in California and across the United States. There are a trio…
The current and ongoing infectious outbreak of COVID-19 has changed how businesses and private people protect themselves and others from catching the viral disease through the proper cleaning and disinfecting procedures strongly recommended now by the CDC, Centers for Disease Control. Note: COVID-19 refers to a coronavirus disease that was first discovered in 2019 hence…
Television shows and movies have featured meth users and meth makers or meth cooks with a considerable degree of regularity. Indeed, there have been productions that arguably have glamorized the making of meth. The cold, harsh reality is that meth labs are highly dangerous. The hazards of meth labs extend beyond the possibility of explosions…
Try as they may, landlords oftentimes are unable to seamlessly turn over a rental unit. When one tenancy comes to an end, a landlord doesn’t have another renter immediately in the offing ready to take over occupancy of a property. Indeed, there is a natural lag even when a subsequent tenant is identified due to…
On some level, meth cooks or meth makers and meth users are something like mice. If they can find an entry, they will invade a space. With that in mind, hotels and motels at times become locations where meth sometimes is manufactured and oftentimes is used. The resulting harsh reality is that with alarming frequency,…
If a residential or commercial property is used to manufacture meth, the level of contamination when production ends for one reason or another will be profound. Indeed, the extent of meth contamination can be so significant that it presents a very real health risk to any person who comes not in contact with the property.…
Methamphetamine contamination of a property necessitating professional meth decontamination can occur in three primary ways: Meth lab Meth storage Meth use This type of contamination occurs when people smoke meth, which is one of the more common ways in which people ingest meth. Many people understandably initially balk at the thought that using meth in…
The illicit use of methamphetamine or meth has been a major health and environmental problem in the United States for a couple of decades. Not only are there major negative health consequences associated with the use of meth there also an array of damaging costs to the environments in which meth is present. Indeed, the…
Methamphetamine use, abuse, and addiction has been a widespread problem across the United States for years. Meth is a synthetic drug that typically is manufactured in what has become known as “meth labs.” The manufacture of meth itself is a dangerous enterprise that involves the use of hazardous substances. Indeed, the process of making meth…
California residential landlords face a myriad of problems at any given point in time. Some of the more complicated situations for a landlord occur when a tenant dies by suicide. The situation becomes more complex when the tenant that dies by suicide has a surviving relative but that relation is unable or unwilling to deal…
A truly challenging situation arises when a person dies an unattended death in a condominium in a multiunit building. An unattended death is one in which a person dies alone and his or her remains are not discovered for a period of time. In the aftermath of an unattended death, the stench associated with human…
Effective odor remediation specialists must have access to appropriate tools and equipment. There is an array of different types of odor elimination tools and equipment available to a professional, depending on the type of situation a remediation specialist must address. Prime examples of different types of situations in which an order remediation specialist may be…
As the result of protests and riots in the United States during the spring of 2020, tear gas made headlines across the country. Indeed, a significant number of business owners and others were left having to deal with the aftermath of the use of tear gas in their neighborhoods. People certainly have heard the term…
Perhaps at no other time since the civil unrest of the 1960s have people in the United States paid attention to the subject of tear gas than was the case in the spring of 2020. During the spring, a considerable number of people took to the streets to protest. In some instances, and for a…
The California automobile retail sales industry has taken a hit as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to keep employees of automobile dealership and members of the general public safe, the state of California has established cleaning and disinfecting protocols together with physical distancing guidelines specifically for this important industry. Cleaning and Disinfecting…
During the course of the earlier months of the COVID-19 pandemic, certain elements of the broader agriculture and livestock industry faced significant challenges associated with coronavirus contamination and infection spread. As a result, keeping people safe going forward into the future demands the implementation of certain cleaning and disinfection protocols coupled with physical distancing guidelines…
Tear gas has become more widely used in the past decade as a means of crowd control and to disperse riots. It is also being used by law enforcement for other purposes, primarily to control a person thought to be engaging in some type of potentially dangerous criminal activity. A handful of countries around the…
There exist a considerable number of misconceptions about tear gas. Perhaps the most persistent and pervasive of these misconceptions is that once the smoke dissipates, you’re in the clear. The reality is that you’re not in the clear when tear gas smoke clears. If you’re a business owner, resident, or have some other type of…
In the latter part of the spring of 2020, a larger swath of people in Los Angeles, elsewhere in Southern California and across the state, and in other communities in the United States became more familiar with tear gas. Many people saw people being tear-gassed on television news broadcasts. Moreover, a number of people themselves…