Frequently Asked Questions About School Mould Problems

[October 20, 2003]

Q. I am writing this letter because I am very concerned about the Elementary School [Baltimore, Maryland] my children attend.  A letter was distributed today that mould has been found in their library and it was being "cleaned".  I entered the library and the mould smell took my breath away.  Upon picking up one of the books, I realized the pages contained a green dusty substance.  It is my belief that the school is covering up a problem greater than they want to admit.  Several students have had unexplained nose bleeds, rashes, mouth sores and a teacher recently had a respiratory infection associated with mould.  This is not the first outbreak of mould in our school.  At a recent PTA meeting, the Principal was asked if the mould had been taken care of in the Kindergarten class rooms and she replied "yes".  Failing to mention that it was now a problem in the library.  Can you please point me in the right direction to have our school analyzed?  The school will not provide documents stating what kind of mould it is nor do I believe they are effectively handling the problem.  Apparently, the school feels, you can just wash away the mould.  Please offer any advise you can.        

A. If you so approve and desire, we can post your email [including the actual Baltimore school name and address that have been deleted in this posting of your question] on our websites to help persuade your children's school to do safe and effective mould inspection, testing, and remediation, and to stop harming the students' and staff's health by having them study and work in mould infestation. It would help your cause big-time if you would use our do it yourself mould test kits to do your own testing of your children's classrooms and outward air flow form the heating/cooling duct register in your child's classroom. Once you have back our mould laboratory results documenting a serious mould problem, you cold then send a certified letter demanding action to the school principal, school board members, school superintendent, local health department, county education department, state health department, state health department, your state's Occupational and Safety Administration [OHSA], and the local news media [newspapers, radio and TV stations]. The children and staff should be transferred to mould-safe quarters until the school has been safely and effectively mould inspected, tested, and remediated in every classroom, restroom, library, etc. You should also read our new book mould Legal Guide.        

[Sept. 27, 2003]

Q. I'm looking for your help, please. I am working in a school that had a HUGE mould problem this past summer. The administration says that the custodial staff "took care of it" and that it is no longer an issue. I myself, as well as many others in the building, am having respiratory problems that I believe are being caused by the mould. Isn't this an unsafe working/learning situation? Can you help, or guide me to someone that can?        

A.  Your school's custodial staff probably does not have the mould training, expertise, and experience to test for and remove mould problems in your school building. Because building occupants are experiencing respiratory problems, you know that the mould work done by the custodians was inadequate and ineffective. You can document the existence of mould problems in your classroom, heating/cooling system, and elsewhere in the building by buying and using our do it yourself mould test kits with our expert mould laboratory mould identification. Visit: Mould Mart  Once you have received the mould test lab results that document a problem, in comparison to an outdoor mould control test, you should send a copy of the lab results by certified mail [demanding mould inspection, testing, and remediation be done by trained mould professionals] to your school principal, superintendent, each member of the school board, state department of education, local health department, county health department, state health department, your state Occupational Health and Safety Administration, and to local news media.      

[May 26, 2003]       

Q. I want to know how to go about having a school inspected for mould?  My daughter is in kindergarten and has been sick most of the school year. and now is getting more frequent.  she has headaches, stomach aches, and lots of sore throats.  please tell me were to start.

A. Start with a certified letter to the school principal asking for a complete mould inspection and mould testing of the school. If the principal does not take action, send a separate certified letter to the school superintendent. If he or she fails to act, send a separate certified letter to each and every school board member. If that doesn't work write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper{s]. If the school system is unwilling to pay for professional inspection and mould tests of the school, take your own do it-yourself mould tests using our kits with our expert mould laboratory analysis and mould identification. For mould test kit info and ordering, please visit: Mould Mart.  If the lab results show elevated levels of unhealthy airborne mould spores in the air of one or more school rooms, and/or of the airflow out of heating/air conditioning duct registers, you use that test results to demand full-scale professional mould inspection and mould sampling. If you have mould test results documenting a problem and the school system continues to ignore the problem, you bring those test results to the attention of your local newspapers, radio stations, TV stations, and local and state health departments, plus the state department of education and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.  

[May 15, 2003]        

Q. I am a custodian at the _______________ School in _______________. I need your advice about how to go about getting the school checked for a mould problem. The school is 3 years old. Every summer since we opened we have replaced hundreds of ceiling tile, cleaned mould off of walls, chalkboards, desks, books, etc. The health issue is my main concern after learning more about it. Both the staff and students have possible mould health symptoms. The mould problems were caused from the chilled water pipes causing the insulation to get wet from the initial start up of the chiller being ruining the insulation. I truly believe the school board is aware of this problem. But the school board would rather not deal with it. I am concerned about my own health and that of the others who feel the way I do. I need my job, but don't feel that it is right that they won't even have the building tested. If you could advise me what to do I would very much appreciate it.          

A. You and your concerned associates should conduct your own hidden mould problem testing of the air in the various rooms and air flow out of hvac ducts by using our do it yourself mould test kits with our expert mould lab analysis. Be sure to include your school name and school property address so that both items appear on the mould lab test results, but you can require that the mould lab results only be faxed and mailed to you. You or an environmental attorney on your behalf can contact the school superintendent and/or school board to demand effective mould remediation if the test results show elevated levels of unhealthy mould spores. If you are concerned about the possibility of being fired for complaining about mould infestation, hire the attorney to represent you and your concerned associates with non-disclosure by the attorney of who his or her clients are. If the school board doesn't care, take the results to local newspaper and radio station and to parent teacher organization. You can also file a complaint with the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration. Having students and employees attend school in unhealthy, mould infested school building is very, very bad. To order mould test kits, visit: Mould Mart. To find an environmental attorney in your area, visit: Mould Attorney.

Conduct your own hidden mold problem testing of the air in the various school rooms and air flow out of hvac ducts by using our do it yourself mold test kits with the expert mold lab analysis of the Mold Inspector Laboratory.


 .................................................................
Other Webpages on Legal Liability: 
[ Texas Mould Licensing Law ][Mould Legal Law Q & A][California Mould Disclosure Law][Insurance Claims For Mold Damage][Texas Victory][Landlord Legal Liability for Mould Infestation][Employer Liability Questions & Answers]
[Realtor Disclosure][School Mould Problems ][ How Real Estate  Sellers Can Protect Themselves Against Buyer Mould Claims ]

Do-It-Best-Yourself Mold Solutions

Phil can help you fix your own property’s mold problems at low-cost, more safely, and better-in- results than what is done by many mold inspectors and mold contractors.  How can Phil help you?

     1. Read Phil’s five plain-English, mold advice books to master mold inspection, testing, removal, remediation, and prevention for your house, condo, apartment, office,  or workplace.

     2. Buy do-it-yourself, affordable mold test kits, mold lab analysis, video inspection scope, mold cleaner, and mold killer, for the  successful toxic and household mold inspection, mold testing, mold species identification and quantification, mold cleaning, mold removal, and mold remediation to find mold, kill mold, clean mold, and remove mold from your residence or commercial building.

     3. Get FREE mold advice, mold help, and/or answers to your mold questions, by emailing mold expert Phillip Fry at envirodangers@yahoo.com. You can also email pictures of your mold problems in jpeg file format as email attachments.