Health Risks of Vibration and Why Monitoring Matters

Vibration is a common issue in many workplaces, particularly those involving machinery, tools, or vehicles. While often overlooked, prolonged exposure to vibration can have serious health consequences for workers. Vibration monitoring is a crucial step in identifying and managing these risks to ensure a safe and healthy work environment. What Are the Health Risks of…

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Can You Live in a House That Has Smoke Damage?

Smoke damage from a fire can have long-lasting effects on a property and the health of its occupants. Whether you can live in a house that has experienced smoke damage depends on several factors such as In this blog post, we will explore the dangers of smoke damage, the types of damage it causes, and…

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How to Prevent Heat Exposure at Work

What is Heat Stress? Heat stress occurs when the body is exposed to excessive heat, which leads to heat strain. Heat strain is the body’s physical response to this extra heat and occurs when the body is unable to cool itself down. Heat stress is common for those working in hot conditions outdoors or in…

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A Silent Threat: Carbon Monoxide from Wood Pellets

Carbon monoxide from wood pellets

Research has shown that stored wood pellets are a source of the toxic gas carbon monoxide. Auto oxidation of wood pellets off gas carbon monoxide (CO). This is a major health and safety hazard for those who store, transport or produce wood pellets.  Risk to Health Discharge of carbon monoxide into storage areas is a…

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How Can I Tell If My Concrete is Dry?

A protimeter can be used to measure the amount of moisture in the concrete slab

Concrete Curing Concrete first cures before it dries. Curing is a process where crystalline fibres are grown. Addition of water is vital for this process to occur.  As curing occurs the concrete hardens. CaO / SiO2 /AL2O3 /Fe2O3 + H2O -> 3 CaO.2SiO2.4 H2O Concrete can cure even if it is 100% submerged in water.…

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Roasted Coffee Beans and Carbon Monoxide Emissions

Internal structure of a coffee bean

Coffee bean grinding and storage can be a source of carbon monoxide. It is not expected that small quantities of coffee beans are an issue. Where Does the Carbon Monoxide Come From? Roasting coffee beans involves chemical reactions which release volatile compounds. These include the compounds responsible for the aromas of roasted coffee beans as…

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What Should I Do If My Land Is Asbestos-Contaminated?

Chrysotile asbestos found in a soil sample

The last blog post showed some common ways that asbestos contaminates soil. If you suspect your land may be asbestos-contaminated, what should you do about it? Is There a Risk to Health From Asbestos in Soil? The first step in a risk assessment is hazard identification. Is there actually asbestos in the soil? At K2 Environmental,…

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Is Your Land Asbestos-Contaminated?

Super six ACM roofing dumped in a field

Asbestos is a very common building material in New Zealand homes, particularly those built between 1940 and 1990. Homes built earlier may have asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) in renovations or extensions. Homes built later may still have asbestos contamination on the property from previous demolitions. How does soil become contaminated? Soil may become contaminated in the…

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What Are Those Black Marks Around Air Vents?

Black marks around air vent

It is common for offices and homes to have black marks surrounding the vents on the ceiling. Sometimes this is misattributed to mould, but is usually a sign that there is fine particulate present in the air. It gathers around ceiling vents due to static electricity, air flow and the condensation of water. Particulate Inside…

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Fire-Damaged Properties – A Risk To Health

Smoke falling on office desk

Risks to Health There exists a significant risk to health after a fire has been extinguished.  Toxins such as dioxins, hydrogen cyanide, acrolein, formaldehyde, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and many other toxins can be expected to be present and be a risk to health. Our blog post on the Air Quality in the Auckland Fire…

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