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Clandestine Meth Labs
Methamphetamine is commonly manufactured in makeshift laboratories
which are notoriously difficult to identify as they may be anything
from a few dishes, bottles and hoses to a full scale commercial
laboratory.
They can be, and are, found in basically any environment or situation,
from family homes and sheds to storage facilities and commercial
premises, even vehicles and boats.
‘Meth Cooks’ however, often prefer to use rental accommodation,
hotels and motels to manufacture their drugs. The toxic contamination
caused by Meth Labs can result in these premises being uninhabitable
and condemned, a cost that is ultimately borne by the owner of the
property or business.
Meth labs are toxic time bombs and potential death traps to those
who come into contact with them, whether intentionally in the course
of their employment or completely accidentally.
There are many potential risks involved in entering a meth lab:
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Explosion
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Chemical fires
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Toxic, carcinogenic, potentially fatal fumes and gases
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Acid spills
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Contamination - from buildings, soil, surroundings (contamination
then transferred to office or home environments through shoes
etc)
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Syringes, razor blades, glass utensils and other drug paraphernalia
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Guns, knives and weapons
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Booby / man traps
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Violent, paranoid and psychotic behaviour from clients
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Staff being abused, injured, assaulted or worst case scenario
murdered
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Many of these risks may also be present when a
meth 'cook' or user enters into your office environment.
While everyone is potentially at risk, the following groups of people
are at high risk from the dangers of Meth Labs:
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Operators and staff of motels, hotels and rental accommodation |
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Regional and District council staff |
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Law Enforcement and Security |
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Public health nurses and social workers |
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First responders - such as Fire Service and Ambulance |
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Government Departments - such as CYFS, WINZ and Housing NZ |
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Contractors, servicemen and anyone needing to enter properties
in the course of their work |
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Children, family and friends of users and ‘Meth Cooks' |
Are you, your staff or clients amongst this group of people?
Chemicals and Equipment
Methamphetamine is typically manufactured with chemicals which
are neurotoxic and carcinogenic, any one of which is capable of
causing serious injury or death.
These chemicals include:
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Strong acids
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Solvents and alcohols
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Caustics
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Highly volatile reagent chemicals
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Methamphetamine is often manufactured in household
kitchenware, or homemade apparatus, none of which is designed to
cope with the volatile nature of these chemicals, which can lead
to highly reactive explosions, toxic gases and fires.
If your staff or business is exposed to Meth Labs there is risk
of:
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Toxic contamination, injury or even
death to staff or clientele |
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Loss of morale and quality staff |
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Contamination and devaluation of your
business premises or assets |
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Loss of profits, reputation and bankruptcy |
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Explosion |
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Chemical fires |
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Acid spills |
Would you or your staff know what to look out for to indicate the presence of a meth lab, or a toxically contaminated environment? |
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Common signs of a
Meth Clan Lab:
From the outside:
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Chemical odours – ammonia /
cat urine, solvent, sweaty socks |
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Windows blacked out / curtains always
drawn / windows shut up |
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Discarded drums, containers, pill
phials, used stained coffee filters, tape etc |
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Indications of chemical waste dumping
– burnt / dead grass |
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Frequent visitors / vehicle traffic
(particularly in early hours of the morning) |
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Occupants only coming out to smoke |
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Occupants paying rent in cash and restricting
access to landlords etc |
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Extensive / expensive security |
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From the inside: |
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Chemical odours – ammonia / cat
urine, solvent, sweaty socks |
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A scientists laboratory (seldom) |
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Glassware and homemade equipment |
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2 layer liquids, with settled solids,
oily in appearance |
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Glass dishes with white crystalline
residue |
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Reddish / brown staining to surfaces,
walls and ceilings |
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Unlabelled jars and containers of clear
liquids |
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Collective presence of acids, bases,
alcohols, salts etc |
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Coffee filters stained reddish / brown
or white |
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Remember – They can also look like any normal house,
building, workplace, vehicle or bag!
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Common signs of Meth Clan Lab contamination:
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Nausea |
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Coughing and gagging |
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Headache |
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Pain in chest |
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Difficulty breathing |
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Burning and watery eyes |
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Burning skin |
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Dizziness |
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Cold clammy sensation and weakness |
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Decrease in cognitive ability |
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Convulsions and tremors |
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If you think you have been exposed
to chemicals, place affected area under water and IMMEDIATELY
SEEK MEDICAL ADVICE – DON’T IGNORE IT |
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