AET at the movies: Law Abiding Citizen

     Health and safety of the actors, crew and production employees is a paramount concern on any movie. Filming is often performed in historic buildings, waterfronts, industrial and commercial buildings which have real life environmental concerns.

     For the movie Law Abiding Citizen, AET was hired by the movie production company to perform a hazardous material inspection at the filming locations within Holmesburg Prison in Philadelphia, PA and George Hill Prison in Glen Mills, PA. Our building investigators determined lead-contaminated dust was problematic and developed a remediation scope of work. AET performed project management during remediation and filming proceeded on schedule.

     Interestingly, this movie was AET on-site professional Tom Adams' 2^nd movie. He also provided environmental project oversight on the movie Animal Factory. In this movie, Tom made his acting debut as a prison guard. However, his 15 minutes of fame ended on the cutting room floor. AET's first film experience was for the movie Snipes.

     Screen Cred: AET's project management team including Don Heim and Tom Adams attended the Law Abiding Citizen premier in Philadelphia. AET was introduced to the audience and thanked by the director for services rendered. Law Abiding Citizen is currently playing at your local theaters.

Right Tool for the Job!

Water Damage Assessments

     Every mechanic, plumber, electrician or anyone who has tried to do their own repairs... knows the prerequisite of getting the job done right is having the right equipment and the expertise to use it.

     At AET, our building scientists combine the use of visual inspection, field experience, moisture meters, and even destructive sampling procedures (i.e. tearing out walls and ceilings) in locating intrusive moisture to diagnose the source and extent of water infiltration.

     Water damage can come from floods, burst pipes, equipment failures, leaky roofs/windows, etc. In addition, small leaks often go undetected until damage is extensive resulting in:

          o Mold                             o Foundation Damage
          o Structural Damage         o Pipe Corrosion

     As with every emergency, time is of the essence during a water infiltration episode. The best way to control mold growth is to control moisture. Mold can begin growth in as little as 24 hours. Finding hidden moisture behind walls, above ceilings and under floors is problematic and may not be detectable by visual inspection or moisture testing.

Infrared (IR) Thermography

     For several years and hundreds of water damage projects, AET's building scientists have used FLIR Infrared Cameras to target affected water-impacted areas and develop detailed scopes of work for water damage/mold remediation. The infrared camera gives AET a cutting edge advantage to reduce the time and expense of detecting moisture, possible mold in buildings and tracing the source.

How Infrared Cameras Work?

     IR Cameras produce a visible color image (called a thermogram) which measures/displays the heat energy or temperature of building materials. IR energy is light that is not visible to the eye and is part of the electromagnetic spectrum that we perceive as heat. The greater the object's temperature; the greater the IR energy emitted.

     The IR camera thermogram can be used to correlate moisture damage since wet building materials are typically slower to react to temperature changes than similar dry materials. Where a temperature gradient is observed, the thermal image of the wet material readily appears in the IR camera.

4 Advantages of Infrared

1. Water does not have to be at the surface. The temperature gradient can penetrate the walls and ceilings to reveal problem areas.
2. The IR camera can pinpoint specific locations of impact resulting in the strategic placement of fans, dryers, and dehumidifiers to dry buildings faster.
3. The IR camera can be used to trace the source and route of water, which is important in determining of the insured's liability.
4. The IR camera can investigate large areas rapidly by non-destructive testing and permit quick decision-making for drying or repairs rather than large scale building material removal/replacement.

Additional IR Applications

• Evaluation of roofing systems
• Detection of insulation leaks in refrigeration equipment
• Detection of leakage points in energy audits
• Inspection of electrical and mechanical systems
• Warranty baseline testing for new construction

Right Professionals for the Job!

AET's professional staff includes 4 experienced building scientists who are also Thermographers.

• Roy Mosicant, CIH
• Harris Brody, CIH
• William Otten
• Bernard Brunner

Call 800-9696-AET or 610-891-0114 to discuss any IR related questions or water damage concerns.

Alan Sutherland has been a Certified Industrial Hygienist since 1978 with over 30 years of CIH-related environmental consulting experience. He has a Masters Degree in Environmental Science from Drexel University and is the founder/owner of Accredited Environmental Technologies, Inc. (In 1984). He is uniquely trained and licensed as an Environmental Professional in both the field and laboratory. He has been the founder of two AIHA Accredited Laboratories and a mentor to six (CIHs). Mr. Sutherland is also a Certified Hazardous Material Manager. He can be reached directly at 610-891-0114 or email a.sutherland@aetinc.biz.

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This article may be reproduced or republished provided the main body of text is reproduced as is, without additional permission, with proper credit to the author and provided that the above resource box remains intact with the article. Permission to re-publish is hereby granted until December 31^st 2012. Author retains all copyrights.

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