Understanding Mold In The Property Restoration Industry

Presented by:

Servpro of Tustin

Instructor: Bill Bisaha

Course Number: 144799

Credits: 4 D.O.I.

Your Name

Your Company

City Where You Work

Title and Position

How Long Have You Worked in the Insurance Industry?

INTRODUCTIONS

SERVPRO Industries DOES NOT purport to provide expert guidance or direction concerning mold. The objective of this seminar is to review current information and guidelines for mold remediation to help you better understand the issues and challenges related to mold.

History of Mold in Property Restoration

Participants in the Mold Issue

The Biology of Mold

Safety During Mold Remediation

Assessing the Environment

The Mold Remediation Process

OVERVIEW

Mold Has Been Around For AgesIndoor Issues Are More Recent

Mold Awareness:1993 New York Guidelines1994 Saratoga Springs1994 Baarn Workshop1995 Health Canada Guide1996 Society of IAQ (Indoor Air Quality)

1999 ACGIH (American Council of Governmental Industrial Hygienists)

Bio-aerosols Committee2001 EPA Guidelines For Schools and Commercial Buildings2003 IICRC S520 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Mold Remediation

Mold Has Been Around For Ages Indoor Issues Are More Recent

• Litigation Prior To 1993 was limited:• Initial cases were:

landlord-tenant

faulty construction• Lawsuits are exploding in State and Federal

Court• Court decisions are defining the future of

mold and mold liability

Participants In The Mold Issue

• United States Environmental Protection Agency issues 4/2/01 report, “Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings”

• First federal specifics• New York City Guidelines• Only government source of mold guidelines prior to

4/2/01• States adopting NYC• California has not adopted any guidelines at this time

(2010)

Federal and State Government

Participants In The Mold Issue

• Coverage, exclusions and prevention• Employee, customer and vendor safety• Challenge of limited government guidance• Vendor mitigation vs. remediation• Coverage for restoration companies• Underwriting: Who is covered? What is

covered?

Insurance Companies

• Prosecution and defense preparing• Case precedence growing quickly• Public awareness of issue increasing• Legal discussion forums :• www.tortlaw.com• www.Mealeys.com (subscription

required)

Attorneys

Participants In The Mold Issue

• Moisture is the key to mold – mitigate!• The owner is important, but the mitigation

technician on-site makes the key decisions…staff training!

• Restoration vendors are NOT scientists!• The experts are the IH or IAQ

professional, microbiologists, medical doctors, etc.

Restoration Professionals

Participants In The Mold Issue

• Qualified IHs are the science experts!• Qualifications and experience matter• For remediation: test, written protocol, and

clearance test and/or inspection• Practical protocols require knowledge of

construction and restoration basics

Industrial Hygienists and IAQ Professionals

Participants In The Mold Issue

• Earliest litigation issues were non-responsive building owners allegedly not remediating mold issues in their buildings

• Safety is a global issue• Public awareness is heightened• Facilities are more “air tight”• Lack of air circulation and trapped moisture

Buildings, Building Owners and Occupants

Participants In The Mold Issue

BIOLOGY OF MOLD

• Mold is a Fungus• Thousands of Species of Mold• Classified as a Saprophyte

– Most Derive Nutrients From Decomposing Organic Matter

• Grows from Spores• Spores are Microscopic

Molds Grow By Sending Out Branches

• Hyphae(high fee)

• Root-like hyphae• Surface hyphae• Spore producing

structure

Spore Mass

Spore Producing Structure

Molds Begin Life As A Tiny Spore

• Spore mass contains thousands of spores

• Airflow carries the spores for long periods

SPORE MASS

INVISIBLE ENEMY

• Growing Mold Colonies Eventually Become Visible, But...

• Cannot See Mold Spores• Disturbance of Mold Causes Spore Mass to

Rupture and Release Spores into Air Stream• Cannot Visually Determine if Materials are

Contaminated with Settled Spores

REQUIREMENTS FOR MOLD GROWTH

• Food Source• Appropriate Temperature Range• Moisture• Time

Molds Feed On Organic Materials

• Wood• Paper• Drywall• Insulation• Natural fibers

• Plants, potting soil• Paints• Starch in wall paper

paste• Caulk

Moisture is the most easily controlled factor

• Fast response to water damage is critical to preventing mold growth

• All water damaged structures have potential for mold contamination

• Better to mitigate than to remediate

Goals In Mold Remediation

• Safety is First Priority• Contain Mold During

Remediation• Remove Mold

Contamination• Dry the Structure and

Contents

Molds Cause Minor Illnesses…

• Allergies• Headaches• Sore throats• Cold and flu-like

symptoms• Fatigue and

malaise

Molds Can Cause More Serious Illness As Well…

• Upset stomach• Nausea• Vomiting• Diarrhea• Athlete’s foot• Dermatitis

(inflammation of the skin)

• Internal bleeding

• Asthma• Pneumonia• Ringworm• Hypersensitivity

pneumonitis• Edema• Bronchiospasms• Pulmonary

emphysema

Show-Time!

Priority 1!!! Safety of Employees and Occupants

• EPA: Warn people about the risks …– If you’re aware, BEWARE!– No fear mongering– Physicians know at-risk!

Vendors only pre-qualify.

• Workers’ training and use of personal protective equipment

Mold Safety And OSHA

• General Duty Clause– The employer must provide a workplace free from

recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees.

• OSHA standards– Personal Protective Equipment 1910.132– Respiratory Protection 1910.134– Confined Space Entry 1910.146– Lockout/Tag out 1910.147– Electrical 1910.303

Mold Safety And OSHA

• Ensure safety of others visiting the job site–Customers and

subcontractors• Post warning signs

– “Do Not Enter…”• Site safety plan

–Site specific

Mold Remediation Safety Equipment

• Small Contamination Sites– N95 or Greater Filter Type Respirator– Gloves and Eye Protection

• Large Contaminations– Half-Mask Respirator With HEPA Filters– Eye Protection and Gloves

• Extensive Contaminations– Full-Face Respirator or PAPR – Full Body Protection

Assessing the Environment

• Do You See Areas of Mold Contamination?• Do You Smell Musty Odor of Mold?• Does Customer Know if Mold is Present? • When Did the Water Damage Occur?• Has There Been a Previous Water Damage?• Evidence of Mold in HVAC?

New York City Department of Health Guidelines

• Guidelines on Assessment and Remediation of Fungi in Indoor Environments (updated Nov. 2008)

• www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/epi/moldrpt1.html

• The only extensive guidelines available until US EPA were published on 4/2/01.

• Not perfect, but a good start!

NYC DOH Offers 5 Levels Of Removal Procedures

• Small Isolated Areas - ceiling tiles, small areas on walls.

• Medium-Sized Isolated Areas (10-100 s.f.)• Large Areas (>100 s.f.)

• Small Isolated area in the HVAC system (<=10 s.f.)

• Large Area in the HVAC system (>10 s.f.)

NYC Small Area Procedures (10 square feet or less)

• Regular building maintenance staff with training.

• Workers wear respiratory protection (e.g., N95 disposable respirator), gloves and eye protection.

• Vacate people from the work area.• Reduce dust generation—misting, HEPA

vacuum, vacuum shrouded tools.

NYC Small Area Procedures (10 square feet or less)

• Remove contaminated materials that cannot be cleaned from the building in sealed plastic bags.

• Clean the work area and areas used by remedial workers for egress with a damp cloth and/or mop and a detergent solution or HEPA vacuum.

• Leave all areas dry and visibly free from contamination and debris.

NYC Medium Sized Procedures (10 – 100 square feet)

All small area items plus:• Enclose the work area and egress pathways

with a plastic sheet(s) and seal with tape before remediation to contain dust/debris.

• Seal ventilation ducts/grills and other openings in the work area.

NYC Large Area Procedures (>100 square feet)

All small and medium items plus the following:

• Trained mold remediation workers.• The presence of a health and safety

professional may be helpful.• Consider using HEPA filtered negative air

machines.• HEPA vacuum and clean work and egress

areas.•

NYC Small Area HVAC Procedures (< 10 square feet)

• Trained building staff familiar with the HVAC system

• Respiratory protection—N-95 minimum• Shut down the HVAC system• Dust suppression • Clean nonporous surfaces, dispose of porous

materials.• HEPA vacuum work/egress areas and damp clean.• Leave all surfaces dry and visibly free of mold.

Large Area HVAC (>10 square feet)

All small area items plus:• Trained mold remediation workers with experience

in HVAC mold remediation.• Minimum of half-face P-100 respirators• Full body coveralls including head and feet• Use of negative air pressure• Consider using airlocks and a clean changing room• Communicate with building occupants

• April 2001 – EPA issued recommendations rather than regulations… “EPA does not regulate mold or mold spores in indoor air.”

• Reinforces on-site technician training “Adapt guidelines to meet the circumstances of each particular job site.”

• EPA input and guidance very positive for process and protocol decision making efforts.

• 3 Levels of Contamination • EPA emphasizes “…adapt as needed” and “…

professional judgment and experience”–Small ( < 10 SF) NYC Small

–Medium (10 – 100 SF) NYC Medium

–Large ( > 100 SF) NYC Large

–EPA says, “The remediation manager must determine the appropriate procedures for a particular job, using the EPA Guidelines only as recommendations.”

EPA Guidelines contribute to areas not covered by NYC Guidelines:

• Refers to locations of possible “Hidden Mold”• Defines PPE into Minimum, Limited and Full.

EPA recommends powered air purifying respirators for full protection.

• Cautions against unplanned sampling, and only trained personnel should perform sampling or else results could be misleading.

P.P.E. Minimum:

Gloves, N-95 respirator, eye protection

Limited:

Gloves, N-95 respirator or ½ face with HEPA filter, disposable overalls, eye protection

Full:Gloves, overalls, head gear, foot coverings, full face respirator with HEPA (P-100) filter

• EPA Guidelines - Containment more aggressive than NYC Guidelines:

• Levels of Containment: Limited and Full– Limited - single layer polyethylene, negative air

• Applies to Medium (10-100 SF)

– Full - double layer polyethylene, negative air• Applies to Large (> 100 SF)

• Double bagging vs. single bagging moldy debris

IICRC Water Damage Standard

• (IICRC S500, pg. 31)• Remove porous material exhibiting

extensive microbial growth• Physically remove surface microbial

growth on nonporous materials (including wood) to typical background levels

• Remove settled spores• Reduce moisture to levels that do

not support microbial growth.

IICRC S520Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Mold

Remediation

• The S520Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification

• Takes a philosophical shift away from setting numerical contamination action levels.

• Establishes mold contamination definitions, descriptions and conditions-- Levels 1, 2 & 3

• IEP not necessary on all jobs.

• Condition 1– Normal fungal ecology

• Condition 2– Settled spores from a condition

3 area. – May have traces of mold

growth.

• Condition 3– Actual growth

• We Are Not Mold Experts.– We compile experts’ knowledge and

apply it.– We should never give a customer mold

remediation advice. – We should not define and perform our

own protocol for mold remediation.– When required, an IAQ/IH professional

should test, provide written protocol and clearance test and/or inspection.

Responses To The Mold Issue

• The Mold Issue is Still Evolving• Guidelines and Protocols May

Change• Coverage Issues and Limitations are

Being Addressed by Insurance Companies and State Legislation

• The Medical Community is Still Researching the Health Affects of Mold

STAY TUNED!