Ontario Ministry of Health Issues Report on
Health Effects of Mould Contamination in Buildings
& Guidelines for Mould in School Facilities

The more Important Findings and Recommendations of the Guideline Produced by the Ontario Ministry of Health Taskforce are Discussed under these Topics:

1. Which School Facilities are of Special Concern Regarding Mould Contamination?
   
2. Invasive Testing
   
3. Sampling and Analysis
   
4. Risk Assessment and Response
   
5. Ongoing Inspection and Monitoring
   
6. Mould-Related Situations Requiring Evacuation of a Classroom

Which School Facilities are of Special Concern Regarding Mould Contamination?

Several varieties of temporary school classrooms are used in Ontario, and for a variety of reasons, the construction and maintenance of these make them more mould-prone. The guideline recommends that all the following types of structures be managed for potential mould contamination:

• Temporary school classrooms are particularly susceptible to mould growth

  free-standing single portable classrooms



• port-a-packs which are groups of portables joined together with a common roof and main hallway



• relocatable classroom modules (RCMs), known in some school boards as kinderpaks or incrapaks which are structures that resemble a permanent school addition, but are constructed using materials and with design details that differ from permanent school buildings.

Invasive Testing

The guideline states that invasive inspection (cutting into exterior wall cavities and accessing crawlspace, ceiling and attic spaces), is necessary to make a complete assessment of the extent of mould contamination in a structure.

Health department staff with experience in inspection indicate that all areas of a portable classroom must be examined before the absence of mould contamination can be confirmed.

The experience of the three Boards of Health was that the school boards in their regions found a very poor correlation between the results of visual (surface) inspection and subsequent invasive inspections. The guideline gives a sample invasive inspection procedure.

Sampling and Analysis

The report does not recommend testing of the mouldy material to determine the species present, unless there are medical, legal or community concern reasons why the species must be identified. All mould-suspect materials are to be treated the same.

Risk Assessment and Response

The document gives a decision matrix for recommended actions in the presence of symptoms, and/or visible mould growth, and/or evidence of water damage. A general summary of the action matrix follows:

• The document recommends mould abatement under all circumstances where mould growth is detected, regardless of the species present or the extent of mould growth.
  
  

• Mould growth under a carpet in a day care centre

  Where symptoms (consistent with mould exposure) are reported, the environment must be investigated. If visible mould growth is found, it must be abated. If visible mould growth is not found, but there are signs of water damage, the source of the moisture intrusion must be found and corrected and any damaged materials must be replaced. A closer examination of the surrounding area is necessary to determine if the moist conditions have resulted in mould contamination of hidden surfaces.
  
  
• Where symptoms are reported but there is no visible mould and no signs of water damage, there is still a need to investigate further. This may include the development of a symptom checklist, search for other indoor air quality stressors, preparation of a premises history (renovations, new finishes, spills, HVAC maintenance, etc.), and a thorough inspection for mould growth sites. "In some cases, air sampling and invasive procedures may be necessary to assist in making a confident risk determination."
  
  
• Where symptoms are not reported, there is no obvious mould growth, and no signs of moisture damage, these lower risk structures should still be examined after the units posing the immediate risk have been remediated.

Ongoing Inspection and Monitoring

Boards of Education are presumed to have a strategy for ongoing maintenance and monitoring that will correct structural deficiencies and prevent the conditions for mould and other air quality problems from occurring. Once the immediate abatement issues have been resolved, the public health departments may wish to review the maintenance plans in place at the school board.

A maintenance strategy would be expected to touch on several items, including:

• Instructions for preparing a site for placement of a portable structure.
• Protocol for conducting programmed visual inspections.
• Protocol for conducting programmed invasive inspections.
• Instructions for portable reinstatement.
• Cleanup information.
• Reporting requirements (details of inspection reports, distribution, etc.).
• Procedures for sampling and analysis (if necessary).
• Direction for portable demolition and disposal.
• Procedures for tracking portables that have been moved to other locations.

Mould-Related Situations Requiring Evacuation of a Classroom

Students must be removed from school portables under the following circumstances:

• Mould growth is found on interior surfaces.
• During invasive inspections or remediation activities.
• In the event of flooding or heavy leakage.
• If several students or teachers are experiencing physician-confirmed symptoms.

©Pinchin Environmental Newsletter - Disclaimer