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Final Guidelines for the Protection and Training of Workers Engaged In Maintenance and Remediation Work Associated with Mold 3 relation to allergy and asthma. Some molds can also cause invasive disease in immune- compromised individuals (Venkatesan, Perfect & Myers, 2004). Publicity associated with potential mold-related health consequences, an increase in workplace health problems attributed to mold exposures, and increased litigation over the consequences of mold exposure, have greatly expanded attention to mold in our workplaces, public buildings, schools, and homes. In turn, this attention has led to a growing number of individuals engaging in the assessment, management, and remediation of mold contamination and, as a result, experiencing frequent exposures to mold spores. In the absence of regulations protecting these individuals from potentially harmful exposures to mold, concern for the health of these workers has continued to grow. It should be noted that the OSHA Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response standard at 29 CFR 1910.120 (a)(3)(B) defines hazardous substances to include: "Any biologic agent and other disease-causing agent which after release into the environment and upon exposure, ingestion, or assimilation onto any person, either directly from the environment or indirectly by ingestion through food chains, will or may reasonably be anticipated to cause death, disease, behavioral abnormalities, cancer, genetic mutation, physiological malfunctions (including malfunctions in reproduction) or physical deformations in such persons or their offspring." 1.2 Purpose The purpose of the NIEHS-sponsored workshops was to develop these experience-based guidelines for protecting and training mold hazard assessors, mold remediation workers, and workers exposed to mold in the course of maintaining building systems. This guidance is intended to be used by competent professionals in government, industry, labor unions, academia, and trade associations to develop curricula for mold worker protection training programs. It is fully conceded that this guidance will need to be revised and improved in the future as understanding of mold issues continues to grow. These guidelines are expressly not intended as a precursor to or lobbying for governmental regulations on mold remediation. The working assumption was that the dose-response and health effects data essential for any regulatory effort will not be available for the foreseeable future and these voluntary guidelines can help stakeholders protect workers in the absence of any governmental policy or regulation. 1.3 Scope These guidelines are solely recommendations and are intended to be applicable to individuals who must enter and disturb mold-contaminated environments to assess the extent of mold contamination and damage; clean, remove, and repair mold-damaged materials; or perform standard maintenance activities. The guidance should hopefully prove valuable for activities in governmental, commercial, and industrial facilities. The guidance does not contain full course curricula, only recommendations about what the curricula should cover.