2. The uncontrolled release of water in a building with a history of water damage may cause dormant mold colonies from prior water releases to become active in less than 48 hours.

3. One of the most important factors in effectively preventing or controlling mold growth inside a commercial building is to have a written Water Response Plan in place before an uncontrolled release of water occurs.

4. An effective Water Response Plan will include provisions to immediately stop the uncontrolled release of water and prevent its’ reoccurrence.

5. An effective Water Response Plan will include provisions to immediately start removing the water by mechanical means such as extraction with wet vacuums and the use of commercial-grade drying equipment. Areas where drywall (sheetrock) are covered by large pieces of furniture, wallpaper, or cove base/moldings may require special attention that potentially includes removal of sections of the drywall. The source of the water (domestic drinking water vs. rain penetration through the building vs. widespread flooding vs. sewage backup) will also impact the required response activity. Visible inspection, moisture meters, infrared cameras, measurement of temperature and relative humidity are all tools that that may be used to identify where water damaged materials exist.

6. Depending on the capabilities of the commercial building’s maintenance staff, the Water Response Plan should anticipate the use of outside contractors such as licensed plumbers, roofing contractors, environmental consultants, water/fire damage restoration contractors, and/or qualified mold remediation contractors. It is advisable to have an established relationship with each type of contractor in order to best control costs once the Water Response Plan requires activation.

7. The most common health effect resulting from indoor mold exposure is an aggravation of allergies and/or asthmatic conditions. Prolonged exposure may cause hypersensitivity in some individuals, resulting in these individuals experiencing a severe respiratory reaction even when very low concentrations of airborne mold are present at work or at home. The variety of responses is often seen when employees working in the same area report a wide range of individual responses when near the water damaged building materials.

8. If an uncontrolled release of water is not properly responded to mold growth will likely result. Once mold growth is suspected or confirmed a qualified individual should conduct an investigation to determine the extent of the mold growth and develop a Mold Remediation Work Plan. The Mold Remediation Work Plan should identify procedures to follow when cleaning or removing mold damaged building materials so that building occupants are protected and not adversely affected by the remediation project.

9. The Mold Remediation Work Plan must include: which building materials require removal; which building materials require cleaning and disinfection; a plan for the isolation of the work area using barriers (polyethylene sheeting) and negative air machines to control airborne dust generation; documentation of worker training in proper mold remediation work procedures; and the criteria of the Post Remediation Assessment. Simply put, spraying with bleach or covering with an anti-microbial paint is not an appropriate response where mold growth is confirmed to be present on installed building materials.

10. A Post Remediation Assessment (PRA) determines if the Mold Remediation Work Plan was successful in returning the area to non-water damaged condition. The PRA must be conducted prior to the removal of isolation barriers and should include: a visual inspection to confirm water and mold damaged has been removed and the area has been appropriately cleaned; a moisture survey, using moisture meters, to document remaining installed building materials are satisfactorily dry; and confirmation that corrective actions are in place to prevent additional water damage. Depending on the extent of the mold damage air and surface samples may be collected as part of the PRA. Whenever air or surface samples are collected a qualified individual, such as a Certified Industrial Hygienist, should be chosen to determine the sample locations and assist with the interpretation of results.

A friend recently told me that he might be developing an allergy to his office. We laughed about being allergic to work, but since he knows that I am in an industrial hygienist, he was serious about getting my opinion. He asked my thoughts about the source of his allergy. I suggested that he should see if anything new was introduced to his workspace over the winter.

It turns out that his cubicle was located by a wall covered with mold and mildew. This growth had also moved onto his paper files, cubicle and desk surfaces. His employer cleaned up the area and requested laboratory testing of the mold. He doesn’t know the extent of the remediation, but he still is not feeling well.

At the request of his doctor, my friend asked his management for copies of the records of the remediation including what type of mold was found. Management’s reply was that the information was included in company records and could not be released. He asked me if he should insist that his employer provide him with the type of mold that was present – he didn’t realize that he had a legal right to this information under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA).

Mold Growth

At the request of an employee, an employer is required by OSHA to provide the employee with “Environmental (workplace) monitoring or measuring of a toxic substance or harmful physical agent, including personal, area, grab, wipe, or other form of sampling, as well as related collection and analytical methodologies, calculations, and other background data relevant to interpretation of the results obtained …;” Employers must inform employees of the existence, location and availability of your medical and exposure records when you first begin employment and at least annually thereafter. Employers also must provide these records to an employee or their designated representatives within 15 working days of an employee’s request.

Faced with similar situations, it might be assumed that many people would not know the correct actions to take. To be precise, an employee should make a written request for all information related to the collection and analytical methodologies, calculations, and other background data relevant to interpretation of the results and conclusions from any environmental monitoring or measurements. In this letter to the employer, the employee should state — As required by the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration Standard “Access to employee exposure and medical records. – 1910.1020 “ in section 1910.20(e)(3)(ii ), I anticipate that these records will be available to me for examination and photocopying within 15 working days of this formal request”.

Here is a good summary of the standard

Here is an outline of employee’s rights under OSHA