Own or manage a hotel, hostel, holiday rental or motel? Ensure occupants are not leaving behind meth contamination!

Methamphetamine Inspections for Commercial Properties in Perth

Commercial Properties, hotels, hostels, holiday rentals & motels.

You may expect holiday rentals, workplaces, hotels, hostel or motel to be the last place you find toxic meth residue. But sadly the two characteristics of meth are leaving no visible residue with little to no odour when smoked. This means that guests and employees can smoke meth, being undetected while leaving a toxic residue behind.

When To Test For Meth

Meth contamination is invisible and has little to no smell. You may be thinking that your tenant didn't have a lab set up so that the property won't be contaminated. But in reality, it is estimated that around 20% of contamination problems are linked to labs; 80% to meth users.

Australia has the highest number of meth users per capita in the English-speaking world, and even more shockingly that number is now three times higher than it was in 2011. So when should we be testing?

Regular Testing Between Guest Stays
Regular Testing of Hotel Rooms
Regular Testing of Offices

GUESTS & EMPLOYEES AT RISK

Meth labs are easily transportable and can be quickly set up and packed down, making motels/hotels and hostels an attractive place to smoke and manufacture methamphetamine for short term occupants.

It's always a good idea to get the premises tested regularly to ensure you are providing accommodation that is legal and safe.

How does methamphetamine contaminate a surface?

The two main ways that a building/property becomes contaminated is through smoking and the manufacturing of methamphetamine.

When an individual smokes meth, the drug is heated, causing vapours to be released. The excess vapour that is not inhaled by the smoker is then released on the floors, furnishings, walls, and duct system, leaving a toxic residue of meth.

Surfaces that are contaminated by the manufacturing process of methamphetamine usually show a lot higher reading than surfaces with smoking residue. Manufacturing contamination arises from aerosol production, spillage & waste disposal.

Chemicals such as Lithium metal, Liquid Ammonia, LPG, Acetone, Hydrochloric Acid and Caustic Soda that are commonly used in the cooking process can become air born and land on surfaces and inside porous materials.

Contamination can also arise from solid forms of methamphetamine that have been spilled and worked into carpets, furniture and upholstery.
How does meth contamination affect human health?
The effect of living in a contaminated building can be wide-ranging. The symptoms can be similar to the seasonal impacts associated with allergies or colds and flu or more problematic.

The main point of difference you need to note is that symptoms will persist far longer than you would typically expect. Some people may experience none of these symptoms, while others may suffer from a large number of them.

Symptoms include:
- Headaches
- Watery or burning eyes
- Nausea
- Burning skin
- Coughing or choking
- Pain in diaphragm
- Feeling cold or weak
- Shortness of breath or dizziness
- A decrease in cognitive function
- Confusion
- Vertigo
- Convulsions
- Sleep disorders
- Stinging Eyes
The chemical residue, leftover from the manufacturing process, can seep into soft furnishings, carpets, timber floors and door frames, and even walls and ceilings. While you often can’t see the toxins, you may be made painfully aware of their presence through the above symptoms. Children, adults and pets living in contaminated dwellings have been known to suffer ill-effects of exposure.

Sadly children are most at risk due to their inquisitive nature naturally wanting to touch and taste and texture of different objects.

For more information, head to our blog page!
What are the Australian Guidelines?
- Australian Guidelines for Meth Residue within a Residential Property is 0.5μg/100cm2
- Australian Guidelines for Meth Residue within a Commercial/Industrial Property is 10μg/100cm2.
The Australian Government (in its Clandestine Drug Laboratory Remediation Guidelines – 2011) has set the Health Investigation Level at 0.5μm (micrograms) per 100cm2 for meth on residential surfaces.

Exceedance of this Investigation Level (IL) does not necessarily mean a risk exists but indicates the need for further investigation or action such as a NIOSH 9111 test. This guideline is set as a goal to receive a reading of below this national health investigation level (HIL) of 0.5ug/100cm2, the exceedance of this level is considered unacceptable.
Why is it essential to get rental properties tested?

Property managers and owners leasing out property have a legal responsibility to make sure the tenant is living in a safe and healthy environment.

On top of this, a tenant is considered to be causing malicious damage when smoking or manufacturing Meth, causing contamination to the building.

This is why we recommend a 0.2ug rapid test when a tenant is vacating a property. This ensures that the property remains contamination free.
Do Stewarts offer Payment Plans?

YES! Installments can be made quickly and efficiently with the assistance of our accounts manager.
I suspect my rental or personal home is contaminated, what test should I do first?

Depending on your situation, we will start with a rapid test at either 0.2μg or 0.5μg. This test will identify if meth is present within the property.
We will mostly start testing at 0.5μg as this is the Australian guideline level. This Rapid test will give a positive or negative result to methamphetamine residue over 0.5μg or over 0.2μg. We will complete this test to the number of rooms you request.
If a single room (or multiple rooms) show positive to methamphetamine residue over 0.5μg, we then suggest that you test those rooms with the NIOSH 9111 test. This test is a laboratory test that will show the exact contamination level.
At each step of the testing process, we will explain the results and what the next step is.

PROPERTIES WE TEST

We test a wide range of commercial properties for meth, including but not limited to:

Hotels
Motels
Backpackers' hostel
Holiday rentals
Inns
Offices
And more...

Health Risks

The effects of meth can be varied and long lasting depending on the exposure. Symptoms can include:

Headaches
Burning, watery or stinging eyes
Nausea
Coughing or choking
Shortness of breath or dizziness
Feeling cold or weak
Convulsions

If methamphetamines have been smoked or manufactured on a property, the contamination will seep into walls, floors, furniture and carpet.

If you have small children who are prone to touching everything, they are exposed to the risk of getting contaminated.

Legal Risks

Property owners and managers are responsible for ensuring that a property is a safe and healthy habitation for renters. Australia laws (EPA and local government) states that meth contamination above the 0.5μg/100cm² is not acceptable. Landlords are beginning to face lawsuits from tenants who have moved into an already contaminated property and have become sick as a result.

Financial Risks

Decontaminating property can cost thousands of dollars. If decontamination form a meth lab is necessary, costs usually start around $10,000 but can easily reach $40,000 for a large home. Some homes are contaminated to the point where it cannot be decontaminated, and the building needs to be demolished. This financial cost is very really covered by insurance and unfortunately falls to the owners.

When considering this Stewarts Drug testing can also offer alternative decontamination methods depending on the level of contamination.

Visibility of Meth Contamination

If you’re interested in purchasing a new home, it's essential to look out for visual indicators of meth contamination and signs of where someone is trying to cover up meth contamination. Meth contamination is difficult to identify visually. This is why expert testing is required. Contamination is usually orderless but can sometimes leave a subtle smell if usage or manufacturer is high.

Key Visual Indicators

As noted earlier, detecting Meth contamination visually is not that easy. Even police officers with many years of expense and training cannot always spot houses that have been used for manufacturing meth or were meth users have occurred. There are a few key indicators that you may notice when looking around a property. They Include:

Stains to sinks and/or baths/toilets
Burn marks in the carpet
Red staining around walls and on floors
Unusual ventilation systems
Burnt batches in the garden/grass areas
Smells like varnish or paint thinner, a “hospital” type smell, vinegar or other sour smells

Hiding Contamination

While we have a few key indicators of meth contamination, these indicators can be covered up very easily. We often find that these few tactics have been used to try cover up contamination within a property that is for sale or a new rental. These tactics will not decontaminate the home and tenants/home buyers will still be impacted by the negative health consequences. Tactics to cover up contamination include:

Any odour can be masked easily as meth has little to no odour.
Newly painted walls to hid staining
Renovated kitchens, bathrooms or garages to hid damage and staining
New plumbing. To hind stains from the waste fluid. Toilets and baths are key indicators
New carpet to hid damage including staining and burn marks.
Recent gardening to hind bun patches