I am preparing this column just a few days after the tragedy of the terror attack in Orlando that claimed the lives of 49 individuals. For most people — the ones who go about their lives in quiet anonymity — such a horrific event shakes their faith in the goodness and competence of mankind. Even in the face of such a man-made calamity, those impacted by terrorism also come across the best in humanity; law enforcement personnel, first responders, medical experts, and professional counselors all rush to their aid with specialized skills that help the survivors recover.
None of those groups would be able to respond effectively if they had not planned ahead of time for dealing with incidents of that sort. Certainly, the restoration industry has led the way in developing professionals who can respond with care and compassion by helping people deal with the structural side of disasters. Preplanning for floods, fires, hurricanes, and other weather events (as well as problems related to mold and other indoor contaminants), has advanced our work in the restoration industry from a job to a profession.
One of the primary distinctions between a job and a profession is that professionals adhere to a standard of care for their work. Over the past 25 years, the cleaning and restoration industry and its primary trade group, RIA, have done an excellent job preparing individuals working in the field to deal with a wide variety of catastrophes. By blending science, practical experience, and a caring attitude, RIA and other industry partners have defined the standard of care for a wide range of cleaning and restoration services. Through training classes and certification, encouragement of information exchange across the globe, and the development of voluntary guidelines, a standard of care has been developed for fire restoration, the proper response to floods and hurricanes, and the assessment and control of biological contaminants like mold.
The restoration industry has led the way in developing professionals who can respond with care and compassion by helping people deal with the structural side of disasters.
Until recently, there was one segment of the restoration industry that lagged in this professional development process. Forensic restoration — which covers such issues as trauma scene cleanup, assistance with structures where hoarding has occurred, animal and bird infestations, decontaminating clandestine drug laboratories, and tear gas contamination — has trailed behind the rest of the industry. Now, however, these specialty restoration services have taken a major step on the road to professionalism in the form of the RIA’s detailed Forensic Restoration Guidelines.
Nearly two years of work went into the development of the Forensic Restoration Guidelines, shepherded by Jeff Jones, chair of the Forensic Restoration Subcommittee of the RIA’s Environmental Health and Safety Council. As cleaning and restoration professional who went to his first forensic job at 13 years of age, Jeff had the breadth of experience to make sure that the science and suggestions that were offered from a variety of viewpoints came together in a document that was practical and set a high bar for performance. This combination means that the Forensic Restoration Guidelines will lead contractors toward the best practices in the industry while allowing the flexibility to adapt to the specifics of each individual project.
Regardless of how good this particular document is, forensic restoration still requires operators who have hearts for helping. Particularly when the project involves trauma or crime scenes, the forensic restoration professional must balance technical expertise with compassion.
To that end, a prepublication version of the guidelines was made available from the RIA for the government representatives involved in the review of the nightclub massacre in Orlando. In doing so, our industry association demonstrated that the military, police, and first responders are not the only ones who are thinking about the unthinkable before it happens. In all the various areas of cleaning and restoration, including forensic restoration, RIA is working to make it better, and the new guidelines are just one of the ways we are keeping that promise. RIA
Michael A. Pinto
For 30 years Michael A. Pinto has held the title of Certified Safety Professional in Comprehensive Practice (CSP). His further accreditation in the field is as a Safety Management Specialist. In addition to his safety certifications Michael has earned a number of titles in the restoration industry including Certified Mold Professional (CMP), Registered Third-Party Evaluator (RTPE), Forensic Restoration Operator (FRO), and Fire Loss Specialist (FLS). Nor does Mr. Pinto just accumulate knowledge, as he has shared his expertise through the publication of numerous textbooks and over 250 published articles. For this work Michael has been recognized by numerous groups including being honored with the RIA's Phoenix award and Martin L. King award. Michael can be reached at Wonder Makers Environmental by phone (269) 382-4154, or e-mail [email protected]
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