[Case Study] Fumigating Gator Style

When fumigating a large, difficult building, precise planning of the smallest detail is critical to the success of the whole operation. This was the secret to success when our team from Pestguard Fumigating, Sarasota, Fla., a Commitment to Excellence company, took on the task of fumigating Townes R. Leigh Hall at the University of Florida with Vikane gas fumigant from Dow AgroSciences.
Commonly referred to as Leigh Hall, the 1.4 million-cubic-foot structure has a number of unique features about its structure that compounded the level of difficulty. Our company, Pestguard Fumigating, routinely fumigates structures more than 1 million cubic feet; however, Leigh Hall presented a number of other factors that required intense planning and attention to detail.

GOING UP. The most obvious challenge was the height and pitch of the roof. The eave height at Leigh Hall stands 43 feet above the grade and the peak height rises to 53 feet. Our crew had concerns about transporting tarps onto the roof and working safely on a roof that steep. University staff had concerns about the possibility of damage to the roof and landscaping around the building.
University classes were still in session and due to vehicle and pedestrian traffic, we could not get a crane into the area. We determined that using three cherry pickers would allow us to carefully transport the tarps, while minimizing any impact on the surrounding landscaping.
We also had to formulate a layout that would require a minimal number of down seams. To do this, we decided to fabricate about 42 new tarps, using various sizes, depending on where the breaks in the roofline occurred. The largest tarp measured 110 feet by 130 feet. Using these larger tarps allowed us to cover as much roof as possible with each tarp while minimizing any impact on the roof itself.

IDENTIFYING CONNECTIONS. Other unique design features required special planning and preparation as well. The building contained steam tunnels which were connected to an adjacent building. We knew these tunnels existed from our initial inspection. However, we needed to review current and historical blueprints to find where the steam tunnels came out of the building, where they went and where we needed to start looking for points to seal off. Additionally, we found a helium recovery system in the building that had lines connected to a structure four buildings away. Once identified, all these exit/entry points were properly sealed.
Two enclosed walkways also connect Leigh Hall to the Chemistry Research Building. Doors on the Leigh Hall side and the research building side were taped and sealed. Additionally, we had the university remove the bottom glass panels on the second story walkway to allow the fumigant to escape during aeration.

OTHER CONCERNS. Leigh Hall is the university’s chemistry building, containing both classrooms and teaching laboratories. As such, many chemicals and sensitive equipment are used and stored within the building. The university tested drums sealed with various polymer bags, compared with Nylofume bags, as a means of protecting bulk quantities of chemicals from fumigant exposure. We performed a visual inspection of the equipment that the faculty members were concerned with, evaluated the situation and advised them accordingly to alleviate concerns. The building also contains a positive ventilation system that prevents chemical fumes from building up, which had to be shut off during the fumigation.
Finally, Leigh Hall has more than 300 exterior, classroom and storage room doors. The university staff worked diligently to make sure that we had a set of keys to fit every door. In addition to checking all of the keys to make sure they worked for each door prior to the fumigation, we also checked that appropriate secondary locks/barricades were available to secure every exterior entranceway.

SAFETY FIRST. Of course, no job is worth performing without the proper safety measures in place. In addition to ensuring we had the right equipment, we had to make sure that we had trained the cherry picker operators before arriving at the job site. We developed a contingency plan in the event that one of the cherry pickers became inoperable or an operator could not work. All of our safety equipment was inventoried and inspected prior to the job.
We also realized through the planning process that we would have to make at least two rappels off the roof, despite the cherry pickers. Therefore, we made sure that this equipment was inventoried and inspected as well and that the people selected for rappelling were properly trained.

THE FINAL GRADE. Because of the intense planning and preparation, the job went off smoothly. All of the equipment and material needed for the job was on site, on time and fully operational. We reviewed every aspect of the job three times with our personnel before we got to the site so everyone knew exactly what to do and when to do it. We even had contingency plans in place for our cherry picker operators so we would be able to continue operating.
We delayed introduction of the fumigant into the structure by one day due to inclement weather. After fumigant introduction, by monitoring we were able to determine the actual half-loss time. We added additional fumigant as indicated by monitoring to accumulate sufficient ounce hours to kill all drywood termite colonies throughout Leigh Hall. Delays due to weather and adding more fumigant were accounted for in contingency plans. Therefore, following the aeration and clearance testing of Vikane, faculty and students were able to re-enter Leigh Hall and the attached Chemistry Research Building on schedule. Since the fumigation, there have been no reports of live drywood termites or any adverse effects of the fumigation on research equipment or chemicals.
Most importantly, we communicated with our university contacts throughout the entire planning process. In addition to the meetings held specifically with the Leigh Hall building manager and various department heads, we also conducted a town hall-style meeting that was open to the public to answer any questions pertaining to the fumigation. We coordinated with the university police, public relations office and other agencies to get the message out to the faculty and students. Finally, we created a Web site specifically for this job as another outlet for information. We believe the lines of communication between the fumigator and the customer must begin at the point of sale and remain open until the fumigation has been completed.
In the end, we delivered a product that far exceeded the university’s expectations.

Goudy is vice president, business development, safety and training, Pestguard Fumigating, Sarasota, Fla. He can be reached via e-mail at  dgoudy@giemedia.com.