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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 mould. And it is making the industry take notice.
The
media talking heads also have taken notice of "toxic
mould," 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
mould, 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 mould claims sprouting in
courtrooms these days.
In
short, the mould 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 mould 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 "mould" 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
mould and its implications to your business.
Meet
The Enemy
Growing mould 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 mould
everywhere -- indoors and outdoors. Some mould is considered
"helpful" mould, such as those found in medicines and
antibiotics; mould is needed in the breakdown and decaying of dead
materials.
moulds are also very common
in buildings and homes, and will grow anywhere there is moisture and
material on which to feed. mould 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
moulds are Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus and Alternaria. But
the mould that has coined the phrase "Black mould," or
"Toxic mould," 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 moulds 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 mould.
To clear up a few things,
toxic moulds 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 moulds
on your forgotten tuna sandwich. But wet and leaky areas shouldn't
be allowed to go unattended.
mould 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 mould you have. The CDC recommends all moulds
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
moulds 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 mould 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 mould to
these conditions, and no scientific study has been concluded
concerning the safety level of mould 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 moulds 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 mould 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 mould 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 mould 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. mould growing in homes and
buildings, whether the "Black mould" or other moulds,
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 mould according to
lab criteria and/or specified scope of work. Currently, the
standards for mould 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 mould 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 mould is a good thing. If you can smell
mould or see mould, it must be removed.
Continue to do what you do
best: get proper training and certification (see sidebar on
"mould Certification") and insure, insure, insure. (As one
mould 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 mould health laws. The Toxic mould
Protections Act of 2001 directs the California Department of Health
Services (DHS) to develop and adopt standards for mould exposure
limits for indoor mould 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, mould claims -- and the
need for mould 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
mould.
The
Road To Mould 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 mould.
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 mould remediation with his company
Certified Mould Inspectors & Contractors Institute.
"The biggest myth
of mould removal is chlorine bleach," says Fry, whose two-day
course held in Hurricane, Utah, has certified nine companies in two
months of operation. "Cleaning mould 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 mould, doesn't mean it's not there, Fry warns. Hidden mould
-- behind walls, wallpaper and ceilings -- has been the cause of
several outbreaks of Stachybotrys atra and other moulds, 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 mould detection and testing methods to construction and
plumbing businesses, and trains them to locate hidden mould. Day Two
covers the remediation portion of certification, and educates
trainees on the possible dangers mould poses to the health of their
clients.
"Certification is
not legally required," says Fry about the lack of regulation on
the mould issue as of yet. But he says completed courses in mould
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 mould should bode well for plumbers, bringing in new
revenues from remediation and service and repair work.
He recommends plumbing
contractors, especially, become familiar with mould problems and
symptoms, and make an effort to get certified. "A plumber would
be the first one to see the possibilities of mould problems. He is
the first line of defense against mould: 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 mould and current mould
news items, as well as search for a certified mould 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 mould; and
Use mould inhibitors, which can
be added to paints. |
