Insurance companies across the country have adapted their policies off the back of massive claim payouts and will often now contain a requirement to test , for cover to be put in place . Landlords have also seen increased premium costs , higher excess amounts and a lowering of claim caps to levels where , in many instances , your cover may not pay for all remediation costs .
We recommend all landlords are clear on what cover they have and what conditions apply for that cover to remain in place : e . g . baseline testing requirements .
NZS : 8510
In June 2017 Standards New Zealand released the NZS : 8510 standards , which placed significant guidance on methodologies , procedures and other materials to ensure the industry had a consistent approach to managing the testing and decontamination of affected properties . This guidance filtered down and was adopted by testing laboratories , environmental regulators , councils , and insurers , many of whom still adhere to this standard as ‘ best practice ’.
In a nutshell , the standards brought in three key changes and requirements :
• Maximum allowable contamination levels for properties that are in line with current worldwide standards , being :
• 1.5 μg / 100 cm 2 in any high use area
• 3.8 μg / 100 cm 2 in any limited use area
• Requirements for a clear separation of duties between those who test for contamination and those who are involved with the cleaning and remediation of affected properties
• Requirements for testing personnel and their employers to be professionally accredited .
The Gluckman Report
In May 2018 , Professor Sir Peter Gluckman released his report ‘ Methamphetamine contamination in residential properties in New Zealand : Exposures , risk levels , and interpretation of standards ’.
This report challenged the NZS : 8510 standards and their suggested maximum allowable contamination level of 1.5 μg / 100 cm 2 . The report suggests that :
• Third-hand exposure to methamphetamine smoking residues on household surfaces ( where production has not occurred ) does not necessarily elicit an adverse health effect to occupants
• The NZS : 8510 clean up standard of 1.5 μg / 100 cm 2 should not be regarded as a health risk and exposure to levels below 15 μg / 100 cm 2 would be unlikely to create adverse effects
• Remediation according to the NZS : 8510 standards is appropriate only for properties where contamination is at high levels and has been identified as coming from a meth production lab .
For more information on the Gluckman Report see the website of the Prime Minister ' s Chief Science Adviser pmcsa . org . nz / publications .
For more information on NZS : 8510 see the Standards New Zealand website , standards . govt . nz
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