C.M.I.C.I in the
News
(Please
note that PCI is now known as PCI)
This article in the Plumbing & Mechanical
Magazine, Feb., 2002, reports on the P.C.I. Certified Mold Inspector black toxic mold
certification program
Mold
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 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
sinusitis. 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.
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:
-
Professional Certification
Institute:
www.certifiedmoldinspectors.com
-
Mold Inspector:
www.moldinspector.com
-
NYC "Guidelines on Assessment and
Remediation of Stachybotrys Atra in Indoor Environments.": www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/epi/moldrpt1.html
