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C.M.I.C.I. in the News
This article in the Plumbing & Mechanical Magazine, Feb., 2002, reports
on the C.M.I.C.I. Certified Mold Inspector certification program.
Environmental Bogeyman Or Contractor Nightmare?
By Katie Rotella, Plumbing & Mechanical
Magazine, Feb., 2002
It has been labeled a "silent killer," plaguing homes, schools
and places of business around the country. It has been the cause of several
multimillion-dollar lawsuits. It was found in nearly 50,000 homes in Houston last June.
It has been compared to asbestos in terms of remediation costs -- rising to an average of $150
per square foot. It is mold. And it is making the industry take notice. The media talking
heads also have taken notice of "toxic mold," fueling concerns of the public with gloom and
doom statistics.
Currently, there are no local, state or federal regulations on how to identify or clean up
mold, or even on exposure limits. This lack of information has left us with bouts of
finger-pointing and public outcry, with most of the blame landing on the backs of insurance
companies. But it is not unheard of to see a contracting company's name listed among the
liable parties.
From plumbing and new construction to forced air and janitorial/maintenance businesses, no one
has been exempt from the hundreds of mold claims sprouting in courtrooms these days. In short,
the mold issue is growing, well, like a fungus in our industry. With an unregulated issue such
as this, steeped in lack of education, training and standards, it's easy to see how quickly
things can get confusing and out of hand -- and a bit slimy.
The following article will give a brief overview of the basic mold facts and report on the
issue as it stands as of early this year, but it is in no way comprehensive. (Do a quick
Internet search on "Mold" and you'll find more sites to click through to keep you busy for
weeks.) However, we will attempt to weed out the facts from the phooey on mold and its
implications to your business.
Meet The Enemy
Growing mold concerns haven't stemmed from its "newness;" fungus
has been around since the dawn of time. (The Bible references the spreading of "the plague,"
in which the "unclean item or property must be removed and destroyed.")
According to the Center for Disease Control & Prevention, there is always a little mold
everywhere -- indoors and outdoors. Some mold is considered "helpful" mold, such as those
found in medicines and antibiotics; mold is needed in the breakdown and decaying of dead
materials.
Molds are also very common in buildings and homes, and will grow anywhere there is moisture
and material on which to feed. Mold spores can enter a building through open doorways,
windows, heating and ventilation systems, and even on your clothes.
When these airborne spores drop on places where there is excessive moisture, such as near
leaky pipes, roofs or where there has been flooding, they will grow and prosper.
The most common indoor molds are Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus and Alternaria. But
the mold that has coined the phrase "Black Mold," or "Toxic Mold," is Stachybotrys atra.
It is the new bogeyman of the press. The CDC admits there is no accurate information about how
often Stachybotrys atra (or Stachy) is found in buildings and homes; it is less common than
the others, but it is not rare.
Stachy is a nasty little fungus -- greenish-black and slimy, sometimes with white edges. It
was first identified and described by a scientist from wallpaper collected in a home in Prague
in 1837.
Stachy and other molds grow on material with a high cellulose and low nitrogen content:
fiberboard, gypsum board, ceiling tiles, paper and -- their favorite snack -- drywall.
For the sake of energy efficiency, homes, commercial buildings and other structures built over
the past 40 years have become increasingly airtight. The buildings simply don't "breathe" the
way older structures do.
Add in the housing boom of recent years and you've got an increase in structures providing a
relative feast for mold.
To clear up a few things, toxic molds cannot grow on ceramic tile. A little mildew around the
bathtub or shower probably isn't anything to worry about and is more of a house cleaning
issue. Nor is it found in the fuzzy-green molds on your forgotten tuna sandwich. But wet and
leaky areas shouldn't be allowed to go unattended.
Mold and fungus can grow exponentially within 24 to 72 hours of initial water damage. Constant
moisture is required for growth -- for Stachy to survive, materials need to be virtually
saturated. But it is not necessary to determine what type of mold you have. The CDC recommends
all molds be treated the same with respect to potential health risks and removal.
Risk Or Ruse
It has been re ported that Stachybotrys atra and
certain other toxic molds produce micotoxins, which can cause rare health conditions, such as
pulmonary hemorrhage or memory loss. But here is where the experts vary on their conclusions.
There are some doomsdayer's that will have you running for the hills at the first sight of
mildew, saying mold causes you to cough up blood. But the truth is, there is no "truth" ?yet.
The CDC reports there is a lack of significant data that scientifically links toxic mold to
these conditions, and no scientific study has been concluded concerning the safety level of
mold in a home, or at what point a home becomes uninhabitable.
One thing is true, however. Asthma affects more than 17 million Americans, including 5 million
children. And the airways of all people constrict when exposed to certain irritants, like
pollen, pollutants and some drugs, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma &
Immunology.
Individuals who are more sensitive to molds commonly report symptoms including runny noses,
eye irritation, congestion, aggravation of asthma, headaches, dizziness and fatigue.
Amazingly enough, high-profile cases are still being won by homeowners against insurance
companies, even without conclusive health-risk evidence.
Last June in Texas, a jury found in favor of Melinda Ballard and her family, and ordered
Farmers Insurance Group to pay out $32 million in damages and lawyer fees. Farmers was charged
with improperly handling Ballard's water claim, allowing toxic mold to form and take over the
family's $3 million home.
This decision was reached a few months before Farmers -- the state's second-largest insurer --
decided in August to stop selling new comprehensive home policies.
The Los Angeles-based company said mold coverage threatens its financial stability, and it
will not renew homeowner policies in Texas in 2002, effectively putting it out of a market
where Farmers serves 600,000 customers.
There had been a dramatic rise in mold claims for the company, which increased from 12 in 1999
to nearly 8,000 last year.
What To Do?
So what does all this mean for contractors these days? It means
education and training is in order. Mold growing in homes and buildings, whether the "Black
Mold" or other molds, indicates there is a problem with water or moisture. This is the first
problem that needs to be addressed. This is where the trained professionals of the industry
come in.
Take your customers' concerns seriously, but don't create or add to panic -- there is enough
real need for remediation without creating fear through advertising or other communications
with clients.
Feel free to refer clients to appropriate experts, expert documents or informative Web sites.
But don't give medical or scientific advice unless you are a doctor or mycobiologist.
Remove mold according to lab criteria and/or specified scope of work. Currently, the standards
for mold remediation come from a 1993 report by the New York City Department of Health's
Bureau of Environmental & Occupational Disease Epidemiology.
This panel convened to create the "Guidelines on Assessment and Remediation of Stachybotrys
Atra in Indoor Environments." It was revised in April 2000 to include all mold or fungi. (A
copy of these guidelines can be found through the Web site www.ci.nyc.ny.us.)
The authors of the NYC guidelines suggest -- and the CDC, FEMA and the EPA all agree -- that
no amount of visible mold is a good thing. If you can smell mold or see mold, it must be
removed.
Continue to do what you do best: get proper training and certification (see sidebar on "Mold
Certification") and insure, insure, insure. (As one mold remediator said, "Think worst-case
scenario, triple it, add two shakes of paranoia, then insure for that.")
California is now the first state in America to make new toxic mold health laws. The Toxic
Mold Protections Act of 2001 directs the California Department of Health Services (DHS) to
develop and adopt standards for mold exposure limits for indoor mold environments by July 1,
2003 (Section 26105 (d)).
This law will set the stage, so watch for other states to eventually join in the act.
As more and more information becomes available to the public, mold claims -- and the need for
mold remediation -- will continue to rise. But the best defense is always a good offense.
Fixing clients' water leaks and moisture troubles is a great start to curb the possibility of
toxic mold.
The Road To Mold Certification
Three years ago, Philip Fry
was diagnosed with chronic sinusitus. And after months of research into the realm of indoor
air quality -- and upon closer inspection of his own home -- he discovered mold.
These days, the former hospital administrator considers himself on a crusade to provide
in-depth information to industry professionals, and produce highly qualified people in the
field of mold remediation with his company Certified Mold Inspectors & Contractors Institute.
"The biggest myth of mold removal is chlorine bleach," says Fry, whose two-day course held in
Hurricane, Utah, has certified nine companies in two months of operation. "Cleaning mold is a
temporary solution. It'll re-grow unless you remove it completely and take care of the water
and moisture problems.
But just because you don't see mold, doesn't mean it's not there, Fry warns. Hidden mold --
behind walls, wallpaper and ceilings -- has been the cause of several outbreaks of
Stachybotrys atra and other molds, where they can thrive in moist areas undetected for as long
as there's water and materials to feed on.
Fry's company does not offer plumbing courses. In Day One his faculty of three teaches
hands-on mold detection and testing methods to construction and plumbing businesses, and
trains them to locate hidden mold. Day Two covers the remediation portion of certification,
and educates trainees on the possible dangers mold poses to the health of their clients.
"Certification is not legally required," says Fry about the lack of regulation on the mold
issue as of yet. But he says completed courses in mold remediation lets clients know the
company has taken the extra step to become informed on the issue. And certification couldn't
hurt if a company was ever involved in litigation.
Fry says the public awareness of mold should bode well for plumbers, bringing in new revenues
from remediation and service and repair work.
He recommends plumbing contractors, especially, become familiar with mold problems and
symptoms, and make an effort to get certified. "A plumber would be the first one to see the
possibilities of mold problems. He is the first line of defense against mold: fixing water and
moisture leaks."
Fry also maintains two Web sites, www.MoldInspector.com and www.CertifiedMoldInspectors.com.
Visitors can find resources and information on mold and current mold news items, as well as
search for a certified mold inspection or remediation company.
Mold Advice & Help
1. Hire a Certified
Mold Inspector or use our
Do-It-BEST-Yourself
mold test kits for
mold mildew
mold inspection and
mold testing for various
types of mold to find and identify
mold in homes and houses,
mold spores,
black mold,
black mold toxic, other
toxic molds,
water mold, other
dangerous molds,
household mold,
basement mold,
attic mold,
heating-cooling duct mold, and
crawl space mold.
2. Hire a Certified
Mold Remediator or use our
Do-It-BEST-Yourself
mold products for
mold in home problems,
mold cleaning, to
kill house mold,
mold abatement,
mold remediation,
mold removal, and
mold prevention.
3. For
mold training,
mold education, and
mold certification, visit:
Mold School.
4. If you are experiencing
black mold symptoms, other
mold symptoms, a
mold allergy,
symptoms of mold allergy, or you want to
see
black mold pictures, visit
Mold. |
CDC Recommendations
Keep humidity levels below 50 percent;
Be sure homes have adequate ventilation, including exhaust fans in kitchens and
bathrooms; Perform routine building maintenance, noting evidence of water damage and visible
mold; and Use mold inhibitors, which can be added to paints.
Related Websites
For
info on Certified Webmaster Training, please visit our sister website:
Webmaster
School
For
a description & order form of our mold products, please click the Order button:
Good and services provided
Mold Inspector Laboratory International, Ltd (Belize).
Sold by 2CheckOut.com Inc. (Ohio, USA).
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