Customer Service

 Customer Survey

LABConnect™ - Online Results & More

Press Releases at EMSL

Category Press Release
Publish Date 12/23/2015
Author Paul Cochrane
Title Holiday Season Indoor Air Quality and Fire Safety Tips
Introduction EMSL Analytical provides air quality testing services, sampling supplies, home test kits and monitoring equipment to identify pollutants in the home.

Cinnaminson, NJ, December 23rd, 2015

During the holiday season, friends and family gather to enjoy each other’s company and the ambience of the holidays. Festive meals, decorations, candles and the warmth of a fireplace are all synonymous with this time of year. However, the holiday season is also a time when indoor air quality (IAQ) issues often occur and the number of residential fires peak.

Holiday IAQ issues can come in many forms, for example, many people use artificial fragrances and air fresheners during the holidays that release chemicals into the air that may act as a respiratory irritant or even an asthma trigger. Candles can not only release fragrances, but also particulates and soot that can stick to surfaces and cause air quality issues. Even real Christmas trees may introduce mold into a home.  

Faulty fireplaces may allow particulates, carbon monoxide and other combustion gases to enter a home or cause a chimney fire. In fact, according to the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), nearly 47,000 fires occur during the winter holidays. These fires claim over 500 lives and result in over $500 million in property damage. Cooking is the number one cause of fires during the holiday season and fires caused by candles are four times more likely to occur throughout this time. These are just a few of the reasons why it is so important that homes have both operational smoke detectors and carbon monoxide sensors.  

The following are a few tips to help prevent fires and indoor air quality issues from occurring during the holidays:

  • Keep candles to a minimum and be sure they are extinguished when people are not around.
  • Ensure there is enough ventilation to keep indoor pollutants from building up.
  • Avoid using artificial fragrances and air fresheners.
  • Dust holiday decorations stored in attics and other places outside before bring them into the home.
  • Be sure the fireplace is in proper working order and that there is an operational fire extinguisher in the home.
  • Keep real Christmas trees moist with plenty of water and keep sources of heat and open flames away for all types of trees and decorations.
  • Do not overload circuits or use holiday lights that are frayed and turn lights off when people are not around or have gone to bed.
  • Don’t leave food cooking in the kitchen unattended and deep-fry turkeys outdoors in a safe area away from the home.

 

“Indicators of an indoor air quality problem could range from people feeling stuffing or noticing odors to allergies, respiratory issues and even asthma attacks,” said Joe Frasca, Senior Vice President of Marketing at EMSL Analytical, Inc. “Visible soot on walls and surfaces is another common IAQ issue this time of year which is typically associated with wood-burning fireplaces and the use of candles.”  

For people concerned about particulates, smoke residues, chemicals, gases and even microbial contaminants and allergens impacting their home’s air quality, EMSL offers testing services, sampling supplies, real-time monitoring equipment and even a multitude of easy-to-use test kits to identify indoor pollutants.  

To learn more about indoor air quality, occupational, environmental, health and safety testing services, please visit www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675 or email info@EMSL.com. For access to the complete line of home test kits, please visit www.EMSLTestKits.com.

 

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.

EMSL Analytical is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider of environmental, indoor air quality and materials testing services and products to professionals and the general public. The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations as well as state and federal regulating bodies. 

Atlanta, GA (LAB 07) - NVLAP Lab Code 101048-1Baton Rouge, LA (LAB 25) - NVLAP Lab Code 200375-0Beltsville, MD (LAB 19) - NVLAP Lab Code 200293-0Boston, MA (LAB 13) - NVLAP Lab Code 101147-0Buffalo, NY (LAB 14) - NVLAP Lab Code 200056-0Carle Place, NY (LAB 06) - NVLAP Lab Code 101048-10Charlotte, NC (LAB 41) - NVLAP Lab Code 200841-0Chicago, IL (LAB 26) - NVLAP Lab Code 200399-0Cinnaminson, NJ (LAB List in Description) - NVLAP Lab Code 101048-0Dallas, TX (LAB 11) - NVLAP Lab Code 600111-0Denver, CO (LAB 22) - NVLAP Lab Code 200828-0EMSL Canada - Calgary, AB (LAB 65) - NVLAP Lab Code 500100-0EMSL Canada - Edmonton, AB (LAB 50) - NVLAP Lab Code 600321-0EMSL Canada - Markham, ON (LAB 66) - NVLAP Lab Code 600317-0EMSL Canada - Montreal, QC (LAB 68) - NVLAP Lab Code 201052-0EMSL Canada - Ottawa, ON (LAB 67) - NVLAP Lab Code 201040-0EMSL Canada - Toronto, ON (LAB 55) - NVLAP Lab Code 200877-0EMSL Canada - Vancouver, BC (LAB 69) - NVLAP Lab Code 201068-0Fort Lauderdale, FL (LAB 56) - NVLAP Lab Code 500085-0Houston, TX (LAB 15) - NVLAP Lab Code 102106-0Huntington Beach, CA (LAB 33) - NVLAP Lab Code 101384-0Indianapolis, IN (LAB 16) - NVLAP Lab Code 200188-0Kernersville, NC (LAB 02) - NVLAP Lab Code 102104-0Long Island City, NY (LAB 03) - NVLAP Lab Code 101048-9Meriden, CT (LAB 24) - NVLAP Lab Code 200700-0Miami, FL (LAB 17) - NVLAP Lab Code 200204-0Minneapolis, MN (LAB 35) - NVLAP Lab Code 200019-0Ontario, California (San Bernadino County / Inland Empire) (LAB 71) - NVLAP Lab Code 600239-0Orlando, FL (LAB 34) - NVLAP Lab Code 101151-0Phoenix, AZ (LAB 12) - NVLAP Lab Code 200811-0Piscataway, NJ (LAB 05) - NVLAP Lab Code 101048-2Plymouth Meeting, PA (LAB 18) - NVLAP Lab Code 200699-0Raleigh, NC (LAB 29) - NVLAP Lab Code 200671-0Rochester, NY (LAB 53) - NVLAP Lab Code 600183-0San Diego, CA (LAB 43) - NVLAP Lab Code 200855-0San Leandro, CA (LAB 09) - NVLAP Lab Code 101048-3Santa Clara, CA (LAB 47) - NVLAP Lab Code 600318-0Seattle, WA (LAB 51) - NVLAP Lab Code 200613-0South Pasadena, CA (LAB 32) - NVLAP Lab Code 200232-0South Portland, ME (LAB 62) - NVLAP Lab Code 500094-0St. Louis, MO (LAB 39) - NVLAP Lab Code 200742-0Tampa, FL (LAB 93) - NVLAP Lab Code 600215-0
Sorry, this function is disabled.