Issue link: http://iaqnet.uberflip.com/i/637188
Final Guidelines for the Protection and Training of Workers Engaged In Maintenance and Remediation Work Associated with Mold 4 The guidance does not apply to: • Worker health and safety concerns related to any other microbial contaminants, such as bacteria; • Issues, policies, or procedures related to occupant protection during remediation; • Single unit, owner-occupied residential housing units; • Agricultural use buildings • Indoor industrial environments • Health care facilities housing immunosuppressed patients; • Homeowners attempting minor mold removal projects; and • Training needed to develop skills to effectively conduct or perform assessments, remediation, or maintenance work involving mold or mold-contaminated materials. Additional training is needed to provide workers with job skills needed to perform their work tasks. This training guidance is to help workers receive the highest quality health and safety training. 1.4 Basic Principles There are basic principles that emerged as points of consensus from the workshops that should be followed by professionals developing training based on this guidance: • Fungal damage in buildings needs to be removed and the underlying cause fixed. • When fungal damage is removed, it needs to be done under safe conditions, the complexity of which depends on the extent of the damage and the circumstances. • A thorough cleaning of fine particles is needed as part of the final decontamination. • Based on existing data, it is not feasible to set an airborne exposure limit as is done with other airborne contaminants. • In the absence of dose-response data for workers exposed to mold, it is prudent to provide respiratory protection and training. In keeping with recommendations by OSHA, EPA and the American Industrial Hygiene Association, NIOSH-approved N-95 disposable respirators should be the minimum level of respiratory protection provided. N-95 disposables are acceptable for the lower exposures in maintenance work, but half-face elastomeric respirators should be used, at a minimum, for full remediation work. • Worker protection cannot be managed by measurement of exposure to mold. Personal protection should be based on specific tasks that increase mold exposure, not on measured exposure levels. • General safety is as important as the protection of health during abatement and must be reflected in the training. • Adult education principles are critical in the design of any training for workers. There are good resources for curricula designers included in Appendix D. • The recommended training course is designed for workers who have no mold background nor have current asbestos or lead certification. Prior competency in these areas can be taken into consideration by the course designers and training directors. • Removing mold from heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems is beyond the scope of a basic mold remediation course, and workers who engage in that work should take a separate course for HVAC work. General knowledge of HVAC operation, however,