Offer meth testing without a laboratory.

[James H. Bushart]

Most of the law enforcement officials that I have spoken to on this subject tell me that it is not the presence of meth that poses a danger to someone who comes across a "meth house", but the presence of the various poisons used to manufacture it. They tell me that these chemicals can work their way deep into carpeting fibers and lay undiscovered for years until a toddler crawls across on his hands and knees, puts his hands in his mouth, and (croak)...whamo.

Is your device limited to detecting only the finished product? If so, wouldn't anyone declaring a house "clear" (providing for a reasonable person to conclude that the house is declared safe) after using your device be leaving themselves open to a wrongful death lawsuit?

[Rodney Bailey]

Originally Posted by jbushart

Most of the law enforcement officials that I have spoken to on this subject tell me that it is not the presence of meth that poses a danger to someone who comes across a "meth house", but the presence of the various poisons used to manufacture it. They tell me that these chemicals can work their way deep into carpeting fibers and lay undiscovered for years until a toddler crawls across on his hands and knees, puts his hands in his mouth, and (croak)...whamo.

Is your device limited to detecting only the finished product? If so, wouldn't anyone declaring a house "clear" (providing for a reasonable person to conclude that the house is declared safe) after using your device be leaving themselves open to a wrongful death lawsuit?

Being a 21 year veteran police officer and 10 year veteran home inspector, I feel that meth screening and testing is an important service to offer clients.

I agree that the precursors to manufacturing meth are hazardous to your health and can be found almost anywhere. It would be an extremely rare case to find a home grossly contaminated with only meth precursors and not have been used for manufacturing meth.

Meth-screening and testing does involve looking for evidence of existing visual precursors, but tests for meth residue only. Any home that has been used as for manufacturing methamphetamine will test positive for its presence. The residue from a meth lab has been proven and documented by the National Jewish Medical & Research Center to be toxic to health. Meth contaminated homes are a health hazard and I would definitely want to know if I was buying one.

http://www.nationaljewish.org/about/...ndcp-cert.aspx

The ID2 Meth Scanner tests down to 100 nanograms and full beam, which is within all state cleanup level requirements. After completing the 18 point Scan of a home, I would declare the home to be free of meth contamination. No one could ever declare a home to be free of any and all hazardous substances and yes, if you did make such a statement, you would be liable.

Thanks for the response.

[Rodney Bailey]

Originally Posted by rspriggs

I was comntacted nearly a year ago by the mfr of this (or a similar) product. I was very intrigued, and told him I'd like to test one (it was about to be introduced).
My position at the time was that we don't have the population here, nor the awareness (fear), to justify the expenditure for a unit that costs thousands.
And, to make it stand up either in court or for a client to back out of a contract, I would still need a LAB report, so that "I" was not the final expert saying, "There's meth here".

BTW, the links on your home page don't aqppear to work, Rodney - thought you might want to fix that.

Keep us informed, & post your prices!

Thanks for your reply. The meth scanner has been tested and proven with scientific data to back it, so it would hold up in court the same as a lab report. You can always use the scanner for preliminary screening and then do a swab test back-up for any positive reading. It would still save you time and money in the long run.

I can get the scanners for $750.00 off retail for NACHI folks ($4,250.00)

Call if you have any questions. Thanks. Rodney

[Sean Fogarty]

Thats Interesting. I did some homework for testing in the state of TN and a state certified tester told me this.
The state requires that any house that has been a meth house have no more than .01 micro grams per 100 centimeters per area that has been tested.

Only testing by a state licensed professional can give you a proper reading.

Most instant result test kits only test down to .15 micro grams. This range is way over the legal limit for habitation.

He also said they were more than likely changing it to .05 next year. Sounds like a pretty nasty lawsuit for an inspector if his test kit is wrong.

[Joe Farsetta]

I submit that if the test it somehow wron, ot performed incorrectly, the first thing which will be looked at in the lawsuit (because there WILL be one) is the credentials of the inspector, the training in the art, the science behind it, and the accreditations of the lan or manufacturer.

If any are off, the results of such a lawsuit will make the worst mold case look like a walk in the park.

Now, if the manufacturer/lab agreed to indemnify and defend the inspector who uses the product, that may be something worth looking into.