Author: MDC Systems 2020

It is common practice to create new buildings on top of (or nearby) old landfill sites. However, even long after the landfill ceases operation, one must still take into account potential environmental concerns associated with methane and other landfill gases in the area.

Here are just a few of the environmental concerns associated with landfill gases that make it extremely important to use methane detectors in San Jose, CA at former landfill sites:

• Inhalation risks: Inhaling landfill gases can pose a number of short- and long-term health risks. Methane and carbon dioxide are the two most abundant components of landfill gases, each of which are colorless, odorless and can displace oxygen, which means there is the potential for asphyxiation. Accumulation of lethal levels of these gases is especially a worry in enclosed, confined spaces, such as in underground utility structures, crawl spaces, trenches and basements in buildings located on or near landfill sites. Short-term effects of inhaling these gases include headaches and irritability, as well as potential eye and respiratory irritation. Long-term risks include cancer and respiratory diseases, among other conditions.
• Specific hazards related to landfill gases: Beyond the risk of inhaling these gases, there are plenty of other potential hazards that make them dangerous. The foremost of these hazards are fire and explosion. There is always a chance that methane could migrate through soil and collect in confined spaces. A single spark or ignition source could start a fire or cause a significant explosion. Methane becomes an explosion risk at concentrations between 5 and 15 percent by volume in the air. Again, because methane is both colorless and odorless, one would not be aware of the presence of this gas in the air unless a detector was present. This makes it extremely important, for safety reasons, to put such a detector in place.
• Ecological risks: It’s not just human lives that are in danger when there is an overabundance of methane in the air or soil. Landfill gases can severely stress or kill off plant life due to oxygen displacement in the soil near plant roots. This is particularly problematic for agricultural sites, as crop damage can occur in large quantities at farms located close to landfills. Additionally, some landfill gases can contribute to forming ozone, a gas that also stunts plant growth and contributes to damage to vegetation.

To prevent any of these concerns from becoming a problem, gas surveys should be conducted at all abandoned dumps and landfills to assess the risk of methane for nearby structures. This should be done before these structures are built. Monitoring should occur at least three or four times per year in different seasons to assess whether and how much these methane levels change based on moisture, ground temperature and frost.

If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of methane detection in San Jose, CA, reach out to the team at MDC Systems Inc. today. We have over 50 years of combined industry experience and look forward to sharing our knowledge with you.

Whenever new construction is put into place, one of the initial steps is hazard determination. This is the process of evaluating all evidence available to determine if there are hazardous chemicals present, pursuant to OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard.

These hazard determinations are conducted by skilled professionals with thorough training in the process. Under the HCS, any employer that processes, manufactures, formulates or repackages a hazardous chemical is considered a chemical manufacturer, and is required to perform these hazard determinations on all chemicals they either import or produce. Other employers and distributors might choose to conduct hazard determinations if they have any concerns about the accuracy and adequacy of hazard-related information for all chemicals they use in their business or distribute to other businesses.

There are two main resources needed to conduct hazard determination. First, there must be completely accurate and up-to-date information regarding all of the chemicals in question. Second, there must be a proper understanding and interpretation of this information to identify and properly document any hazards that are uncovered. Manufacturers and importers of any chemicals classified as hazardous are themselves responsible for ensuring all information provided to employees and any other users is thorough and accurate. To ensure this accuracy, anyone assigned to conduct the hazard determination must be able to conduct complete, effective data and literature retrieval.

Hazard determination processes

Whenever a company is engaged in the hazard determination process, it should be on the lookout for all potential chemical hazards and consequences, maximum response time requirements, the necessary safety functions and alarms, and the requirements for resetting or recovering from alarms.

The HCS defines a chemical as “any element, chemical compound, or mixture of elements and/or compounds.” Here’s a closer look at what this means:

• Element: An element is, of course, the most basic form of matter, with 118 elements in the periodic table. Common elements include Carbon, Oxygen, Aluminum, Nitrogen, Hydrogen, Mercury, Chlorine and many more.
• Chemical compound: Chemical compounds are substances consisting of two or more elements that have been bonded to each other. Their elements are always present in the exact same proportions. An example is Sodium Chloride (NaCl), also known as salt, and H2O, the chemical compound that makes up water.
• Mixture: A mixture is any combination of two or more chemicals if the combination was not either wholly or partially the result of a chemical reaction. There are countless examples of mixtures that could create chemicals. One could, for example, mix Sodium Chloride and water together, but the result would not be a new chemical compound.

To determine if the present chemical is a hazard, the HCS outlines “physical” and “health” hazard guidelines. A physical hazard is likely to contain a combustible liquid, compressed gas or other flammable or explosive substance. A health hazard is likely to contain a chemical that presents a risk for acute or chronic health risks.

For more information about the hazard determination process, contact MDC Systems Inc., your source for gas detection systems in San Jose, CA.