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What is Mold Remediation Safety?
Personal Safety During Mold Remediation By Matthew Yurina, Mold Inspector/Remediator

How do I protect myself from mold?

The first Principle of Mold Remediation according to the IICRC regards Safety and Health. The full range of effects that mold exposure can have on humanity is unknown, and isn’t something that can ever really be understood in its entirety. A person with allergies to mold can be far more susceptible to the ill effects of it and its possibly toxigenic spores. The same caution must be given to those with asthma, respiratory problems or any immune compromising illnesses. Its possible, also, that exposure to mold will have stronger effects on children or elderly people.

In any mold remediation project you must wear the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) for the job. A P100 or better rated respirator is essential. Never enter an area infested with mold without a P100 respirator. Breathing in molds spores can be dangerous even for completely healthy people. Always wear gloves and protective clothing to limit exposure to your skin. Nitrile gloves are a favorite among professional remediators, but kitchen rubber gloves are just as good in many situations. A tyvek, or similar type of full body coveralls is recommended, but sometimes isn’t entirely necessary in the cleaning of smaller mold problems. The very least you should have in the way of clothing should be long sleeves, long pants, boots, respirator and goggles to cover your eyes.

In areas of heavy infestation, (especially in a basement, crawlspace or attic where ventilation could be poor and humidity high) or any situation where you’re cleaning a toxigenic, black mold, you WILL need more and better protective equipment. You’ll need full body coveralls, (average, porous clothing can easily capture airborne mold spores, allowing them to reach the surface of the skin during the sometimes hot and tiring process of mold remediation), Strong rubber or nitrile gloves and a full face P100 respirator. The California Dept. of Health & Services stresses that people not try using any chemical, fungicide or even a detergent to clean up mold, without a respirator that protects against chemical fumes also. A regular P100 will protect against mold spores, but during actual remediation, when using chemicals, you’ll need a P100 filter that also protects against chemical fumes.

Black molds require the right conditions (a large moisture source, poor ventilation, high humidity and plenty of cellulose material to feed on) for them to produce deadly mycotoxins. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) states, however, that all fungi most likely produce allergens that could cause disease depending upon one’s exposure to it. And of course, those allergic to any type of mold will be more susceptible. Standard practice in mold remediation is to take all the precautions one can.

To learn about mold’s effects on your health, click here.

The largest problem with any type of mold is that they all produce spores in order to reproduce and those spores can travel very easily to other areas. It’s important in mold remediation to contain the mold infestation as close to the source as possible, thus eliminating the spread of the infestation. New protective clothing should be dawned before each day of work, and the used material should be bagged and thrown away after leaving the contaminated area. Any tools used in the decontamination process should be washed or wiped off thoroughly before removing them from the area. P100 half and full face masks are usually reusable, so as long as you clean them off after a day’s work they can be used again the next day. The filter/cartages, however, should be replaced every day at the very least.

PPE:

Basic P100 respirator:
Protects against particulates (dust, mold spores). Trask Research’s basic P100 is the North Safety brand 5500 half mask with two P100 filters. This is the absolute minimum of respiratory protection which should be worn when operating inside an area that’s contaminated with mold spores.

Premium P100 respirator:
This is the same North Safety 5500 half mask, but it comes accompanied with much stronger filter cartridges. They’re P100 so they’ll protect against mold spores, but they’re also excellent protection against many chemical fumes. They’re designed to protect against the fumes of Borate and Quat based fungicides, among others. Whenever spraying or fogging indoors with chemicals this is the respirator that’s required.

Full face P100 respirator:
This is the ultimate protection as far as respirators go. With a full face respirator you won’t need to worry about wearing goggles and you can be sure that neither mold spores nor chemical fumes will get into the eyes, nose or mouth. A full face respirator is strongly recommended when doing mold remediation indoors in any small or poorly ventilated places.

Tyvek Suiting:
It’s important to limit skin exposure to mold and mold spores. Tyvek coveralls with attached hood and booties are the ultimate protection. This is the same type of suiting that Professional Remediators use. Full tyvek coveralls with attached hood and booties toe cover the shoes will completely keep mold spores from one’s skin and protect against chemical splash.

Gloves:
Imperative when working with mold or chemicals is either rubber or nitrile gloves. Certain species of mold can cause different types of dermatitis, and nearly every species of mold is capable of causing infections. Quat based fungicides like the Impact are some of the safest as far as people are concerned, but one still needs to limit ones skin contact with it. When Impact has gotten on the skin it should be washed off thoroughly as soon as possible.

Goggles:
If you’re not wearing a full face respirator, then goggles are essential. Excessive exposure to mold spores can turn eyes red and itchy, possibly leading to infection. Never enter an area infested with mold spores without full eye protection.

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