Pinchin Environmental Newsletter (PEN #14)

Current Standards for Managing Water Damage
or Mould Growth in Buildings

Questions & Answers

Occupants experiencing adverse health effects?

At the outset, the responsible party should be attentive to the health status of the occupants. The New York City protocol recommends that occupants who are experiencing significant adverse health effects that may be related to mould exposure, be advised to see a physician. It may be necessary to re-locate susceptible persons.

In a workplace building, the Ministry of Labour sensitive worker policy might be applied in such a case. Evacuation of a building would only be warranted in cases of widespread mould-related symptoms (preferably physician-confirmed) and widespread mould contamination. In most cases, occupants can remain safely in the building during remediation. However, both the New York City Protocol and the IICRC S500 standard state it may be necessary to re-locate susceptible individuals until the remediation is complete.

Is the building a hospital or health care facility?

Any work in a hospital or other health care facility has the potential to release mould spores or bacteria during removal and repair of ceilings, walls, and plumbing systems. If these spores or bacteria are not contained, susceptible patients might develop fungal infections or Legionnaires' disease, a bacterial pneumonia.

Note that mould spores will be present in all settled dust in such a facility so that a risk of infection is present even if there is no visible mould growth. If mould growth is present, the risk is greater. Any such work in a health care facility should be performed under the direction of the infection control personnel, following the 2001 Health Canada guidelines set to prevent hospital-acquired infections.

Contamination with sewage or other highly contaminated water?

Where a building has been contaminated with water containing a high level of pathogens (sewage, and also flooding from rivers and streams), Category 3 work practices described by the IICRC S500 standard apply.

The contractor should be trained and experienced in such work and preferably would have liability insurance that includes coverage for mould remediation. The contaminated area should be enclosed, the ventilation systems turned off and sealed, and the work area put under negative pressure by use of filtered exhaust ventilators. All finishes and contents affected by the flood should be sealed in plastic bags and disposed of. The structure should be disinfected and dried as quickly as possible, and the contractor should provide a written report documenting the success of the water restoration including both relative humidity and surface moisture readings.

The IICRC Standard recommends a 3rd party health and safety consultant to oversee the work, at least where harmful microbial contamination is present, where there are susceptible individuals present, or where there are public health issues. Swab samples for sewage-indicator bacteria can be used to judge the effectiveness of the disinfection.

Newly reported water damage?

Where a water episode is reported soon enough, an immediate response and the use of professional water restoration practices can prevent or limit mould growth and allow most of the finishes and contents to be saved. Both the New York City protocol and the US EPA standard quote a 24-48 hour grace period during which effective drying will prevent mould growth. Contractors trained in structural drying methods should be employed and should provide written proof of a dry condition at completion.

Note that some porous materials may not be able to be successfully dried, even with the best of efforts. The EPA standard advises that ceiling tiles, and cellulose and fiberglass insulations cannot be reliably dried with current methods. Once wetted, should be discarded.

Report of old water episode or signs of mould growth present?

Signs of water damage not properly corrected, musty odours, or reports of potentially mould-related health effects should prompt an investigation for possible mould growth. A professional experienced in mould investigations, preferably with liability insurance including mould hazards, should perform the investigation. The investigation will include an inspection of the property, often with intrusive testing to examine hidden areas, and in some cases might involve air sampling. The investigation should report on the presence and extent of mould, if found, and where possible comment on the likely cause of the growth.

Is the property a workplace?

In Ontario, the Ministry of Labour considers mould growth in general buildings to be a workplace hazard. The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires that the Joint Health and Safety Committee or the Safety Representative representing the workers be informed of any investigation for the purposes of health and safety, including testing for mould growth. The Act also allows a representative of the Committee to observe the beginning of such testing and the JHSC must be copied with all reports of mould investigations provided to the employer. Similar legislative requirements apply in most other Canadian jurisdictions.

Once mould growth is confirmed?

Once mould growth is confirmed, remediation should begin as soon as possible. The CCA and EACO guidelines are recommended as the most up-to-date and detailed remediation protocols.

Susceptible occupants (infants, elderly, immuno-compromised, etc.) should be relocated from the area of work and perimeter of the work area during abatement. The occupants should be informed of the work to be performed and given information on the methods to be used.

In a workplace building, it would be advisable to have the JHSC informed of the remediation work and copied with testing reports. The abatement contractor should be trained, experienced and carry mould-inclusive insurance. Health Canada recommends that quality assurance measures be applied, which usually requires an independent health and safety professional to oversee the work. Environmental testing, usually air sampling, is typically applied at completion as part of the quality assurance measures.

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