Key Requirments Of Regulations And Guidelines Regarding Mold (Mould) In Buildings Provincial and national occupational Health and safety Guidelines Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Canada
Key Requirements Of Regulations And Guidelines Regarding Mold In Buildings
All Canadian federal and provincial occupational health and safety and public health agencies consider mold growth in buildings to be a risk factor for health problems. Health Canada recommends that mold growth should be prevented by appropriate and timely control of moisture sources and that growth be removed using established remediation protocols.
Provincial and national occupational health and safety guidelines include, but are not limited to:
Ontario Ministry of Labour: Alert – Mould in Workplace Buildings, Alert 20/12/00. ISSN 1195-5228. Ontario Ministry of Labour, Toronto, ON (2000)
Manitoba Labour: Guidelines for the Investigation, Assessment & Remediation of Mould In Workplaces, Workplace Safety and Health Division, Manitoba Labour, Winnipeg, MB, (March 2001).
Alberta Workplace Health and Safety: Bulletin BH018, Do I Have a Workplace mould Problem?, Edmonton, AB, (October 2001).• WorkSafe BC: Guideline G4.49, Moulds and Indoor Air Quality, Richmond, BC, (June 2002).
CCA: Mould Guidelines for the Canadian Construction Industry, Guide 82, Canadian Construction Association, Ottawa, ON (2004)• Health Canada: Fungal Contamination in Public Buildings: Health Effects and Investigation Methods. Health Canada, Ottawa, ON (2004).
Some of the common features of these guidelines include:
Water-damaged materials should be dried within 48 hours of wetting to prevent mold growth
Mold growth in buildings poses a risk of allergic, irritant, infective and possibly toxic responses.
All types of mold growth must be abated as soon as possible after discovery.
Information on the presence of mold growth must be communicated to occupants.
Building wide evacuation in cases of confirmed mold growth is not indicated unless there is both widespread fungal contamination and confirmed linked illness. However, occupants with persistent health complaints potentially linked to mold exposure should be advised to seek medical attention, and should be given copies of any environmental test or reports. Persons diagnosed with fungal related disease should not return to the environment until remediation and air testing are completed.
Occupants with an underlying health condition posing an increased risk of reactivity to mold (e.g., asthma triggered by mold, severe allergies, significantly compromised immune function) should not be present during mold abatement. Such susceptible individuals should be removed from areas adjacent to mold remediation work areas, during the remediation process.
Mold growth should be removed following work practices designed to contain airborne dust and debris, protect the workers performing the removal, and provide a clean condition at completion. The rigor of these procedures is dependent on the extent of mold growth present.
Medium and large scale mold abatement work should be performed with the project design and quality assurance assistance of a health and safety professional experienced in mold assessment and remediation. Health Canada recommends that quality assurance inspections be provided in accordance with standard protocols such as those of the American Industrial hygiene Association.
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