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Mold Library Combination
Read the 5
mold advice ebooks in the
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[$75.00 if bought separately]. Combo package includes: (a)
Do-It-Best-Yourself Mold Prevention, Inspection, Testing, and Remediation,
$15; (b)
Mold Health Guide, $15; (c)
Mold Legal Guide, $15; (d)
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To Read Occupational Health &
Safety Administration Workplace
Mold Guidelines, visit:
OHSA Workplace Mold
To read news articles
on workplace
mold problems, visit:
Mold-At-Work.
Also visit: Employer
Liability and Asthma Health Problems Q & A
Workplace Q
& A
Workplace-Mold-OHSA
Employer Mold
Problems
Adult-Onset Asthma from
Workplace Mold Exposure. “The present [health study] results provide
new evidence of the relation between workplace exposure to indoor molds
and development of asthma in adulthood. Our findings suggest that indoor
mold problems constitute an important occupational health hazard,”
reported the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, in Environmental
Health Perspectives, May, 2002. The Finnish workplace mold study estimated
that the percentage of adult-onset asthma attributable to workplace mold
exposure to be 35.1%
Read
Asthma Home Remedies
Employer & Workplace Mold Problems
Q. I worked with
two others in a third floor office that had been vacant for 9
years and was not made occupancy ready. This was in a building
that was primarily unoccupied. This three-story building had a
water leak for several years and was moldy smelling with visible
mold on the ceiling tiles. I was the first employee in this new
office. From the first day (October 1, 2003) I did not feel well.
I experienced rashes on my face, fatigue, and repeat sinus
infections. On December 31st I became very sick with what I
thought, at the time, was the flu. January 13th, 2004 we attempted
to use the heat for the first time. There was an immediate burning
odor emanating from the ducts, which very rapidly worsened. Within
10 minutes we had the heat off and vacated the office. All three
of us were ill. I had a severe headache, burning eyes and nose,
metallic taste in my mouth, and nausea. I was not able to eat for
a couple of days after this incident. Two days after the incident
I saw my allergist. He felt I had been exposed to a strong
irritant and put me on antibiotics. After this happened the
office was tested and cleaned. We were eventually told the
"transformer was defective and burnt out the power strip". That
was the burning odor. Each time we attempted to work from the
office we became sicker. The worker compensation doctor's
recommendations were not followed. A second company was brought in
to perform additional testing and to make cleaning
recommendations. The building manager conveyed that they had even
tested around the windows because of the pigeons roosting there
and it was fine. The rugs were then cleaned, an antimicrobial
coating was put in the ducts, and hospital air scrubbers were
brought in for two weeks. The post testing report was released to
my manager. It showed Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Alternaria, and
Penicillium molds in the building. The air samples in my office
were taken by the air scrubber and showed 0 molds. The pre-testing
report has never been released. At the end of April we were
instructed to return to the office to work. I continued working
for two weeks. During this time the headaches became so severe
that even taking the maximum dose of the antibiotics did not help.
My cognitive processing was continually worsening as well as my
short term memory abilities. The pressure in my head went from the
back of my neck to my forehead. It felt as if I was in a vise. My
glands were also swollen and turning my head was difficult. This
pressure has not completely gone away even though I have been out
of the building since May 14th, 2004. In addition I have been
experiencing arthritis like symptoms in my hands since last
spring, constantly have sinus problems, some coughing, and several
more sinus infections. I found an allergist who knew some about
mold exposure. Based on the building report he ordered blood work
on myself. The abnormal levels detected were: cladosporium IgG
1678, aspergillus IgG 3312, penicillium IgG 4693, penicillium
major ant 56, and alternaria IgG 3801, alternaria IGM 1994. (Only
the molds identified in the report were tested for.) My
aspergillus IgE was 43. If I understood the doctor correctly this
would only be a problem if it was over 50. He did not recommend
treatment other than considering allergy shots. I did have a chest
x-ray that stated: mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
without acute superimposed disease. Are there other tests I should
have received? How concerned should I be about this exposure and
it's effects? I have not been able to locate a doctor who is
experienced in this type of exposure. Is there a directory of
physicians who know what molds can do or can you provide me some
names of doctors? [Feb. 1, 2005]
A. Although I cannot
provide to you doctor names, you can learn all about available
mold medical diagnosis and treatment procedures in the in-depth
ebook
Mold Health Guide. Your health problems may well be related to
continued exposure to mold infestation at work. The reported molds
in your workplace and in your body are very health-damaging molds.
Most mold remediators do an inferior job of mold remediation due
to shortcuts taken and to the poor training of employees. Learn
the 25 steps for safe and effective
mold remediation. You and your associates should do your own
mold testing of your office area [using our do it yourself mold
test kits available from our online mold products catalog] to
learn the current mold truth and status about your work
environment. Be sure to do mold testing of the air of each room
and of the outward air flow from each heating/cooling duct for the
possible presence of elevated levels of airborne mold spores, in
comparison to an outdoor mold control test. The reported molds in
your workplace can cause severe health problems for office
employees and visitors. You would also be wise to mold test your
entire home, which may have become mold cross contaminated from
mold spores transferred from your job to your home on your skin,
hair, shoes, and clothing.
Q. My workplace consists of modular sections placed
approximately 3-4 feet above dirt and for the most part sealed off
from the elements, ventilation below is minimal and dank. There
are plenty of obvious physical signs of water damage and mold
inside the building to include mushroom like fungi growths plus a
poor hvac system. This structure is probably 20 years old and very
neglected. The employees have all the signs and symptoms of
the "sick building syndrome". Does mold produce airborne
pollutants? [Nov. 3, 2004]
A.
Workplace mold growth
produces airborne mold spores to spread mold contamination, with the
consequence of making workers very sick---the people who breathe in
elevated levels of airborne mold spores. Toxic mold also create mycotoxins
which are highly poisonous. Mold from the crawl space beneath your modular
sections can easily grow into the insides of the floors and walls above.
In addition, airborne mold spores from beneath the structure and from
other mold growth areas can travel in air currents to mold cross
contaminate your entire workplace and its heating/cooling equipment and
ducts. Workplace mold contamination is usually a violation of most state's
occupational health and safety administration laws. Because most employers
don't care about worker health problems arising from mold infestation,
your first job is to pay for your own mold testing with do it yourself
mold test kits from a large hardware, home improvement, or safety store.
Become your own effective
mold expert to improve your personal home
or apartment environmental safety and/or the environmental health of your
investment properties by reading all five of our mold advice, email
delivered books described above on this page.
Q.
I have a question about mold
in a restaurant. I have had a lot of medical problems
since I have started to work for this company,
(coughing, Bronchitis, runny nose, tired all the time,
headaches, sick to my stomach). I been to doctors and
they don't know why I am sick all the time. Well, the
other day while I was at work I had to have an
electrician come out and him and I went into the attic,
mold everywhere. I need to know what to do? For my
employees and my own safety? [July 12, 2004]
A.
Attic mold can easily grow into the ceilings and walls
beneath. In addition, airborne mold spores from the
attic mold can travel in air current movements to mold
cross-contaminate the entire house and its
heating/cooling system. For these reasons, the entire
restaurant building needs to be carefully inspected and
mold tested by a
Certified Mold Inspector.
Your health problems may well be mold-related. You
should also mold test your home with do it yourself mold
test kits. Your first and most affordable home mold
investigative step to learn the severity and the extent
of the possible mold infestation is to use our do it
yourself mold test kits [self observation of results
over a 5 to 7 day time period, or send in for
mold lab analysis]
to mold test the air of each room, attic, basement,
crawl space, and the outward air flow from each
heating/cooling duct register for the possible presence
of elevated levels of airborne
mold spores, in
comparison to an outdoor mold control test which you
should also do. If you see any visible mold growth, from
each moldy area, scrape some of the mold particles into
a separate mold test kit per testing location for
observation over a 5 to 7 day time period, and/or for
mold lab analysis. When scraping mold into a test kit,
you would be wise to use a breathing air respirator
[Home Depot or Lowe’s or a safety store] so that you
don’t breathe in extra mold spores that you put into the
air by scraping some mold-like substances into each mold
test kit. Mold test kits come with detailed use
instructions to
make your tests informative and helpful in mold problem
diagnosis. Learn how to do your own, self-observation
analysis of mold test kits results at
Mold Test Kit
Interpretation.
You can also read online the copyrighted form “Self-Analysis
& Interpretation of Visible Mold Growth in
Do-It-Yourself Mold Test kits.” Buy
mold test kits at a large hardware or home improvement store.
Learn the steps required for safe and effective
mold
remediation.
Please note that workplace mold contamination is usually
considered
a safety violation of most state's Occupational Health
and Safety Administration laws and regulations.
Q. I work in a basement... part of it has carpet that over the last couple of
years not only has been wet several times and allowed to just "dry out",
sewage has overflowed on the carpet about 6 months ago and nothing was done
about that either. I stay sick with sinus and throat infections that's
gotten worse over the last few months, I keep asking my employer to get the
carpet out, but they haven't done anything yet,,,,,, How dangerous, health
wise is this for me? Can other problems arise besides the infections? If I
hand over "proof" to my employers maybe they'll do something??! Please Help
[Aug. 23, 2003]
A.
Your first step should be to use do it yourself
mold test kits to
mold test the air in your office, plus the airflow out of
your office's heating/cooling duct registers. What you are
testing for is the possible elevated level of airborne
mold
spores, especially in comparison to an outdoor control
test, which if present, would indicate a likely serious mold infestation
problem. The existence of carpet that
was left wet more than 24 hours and sewage spills guarantees
that you are living in mold filth, very much to the
detriment of your health. You should learn more about mold
health problems by visiting the
mold health section. Once you have
received the mold lab test results, if those results document a mold
problem in your work place, you should send a certified
letter [with a copy of the mold lab results] to your
employer demanding to work elsewhere in a mold-safe work
environment until your work area has been professionally
mold inspected, tested, and remediated. Learn what is
recommended for effective
mold removal. If you
have a mold problem that your employer refuses to take care
of,
please note that it is a safety violation [as to most
states' Occupational Health and Safety Administration, OHSA] for an
employer to have workers working in a
mold-contaminated work
place.
Q. I have recently become aware of mold in a building in which I work. The type
of building I work in is a double wide. The mold was found on the right side
of the building, I work in the left. It has been near the vents and has just
started growing on the tables in one of the rooms. We share the same air
conditioning vent throughout the entire building. Some days, it is very
humid in my building. Is this dangerous to all employees of the building?
Also, I am 25 weeks pregnant. Can the mold in the other side of the building
harm me or my unborn child? [Aug. 20, 2003]
A. Living or working in a
mold contaminated area can cause birth defects and
miscarriages. In view of the serious mold problem in your work
place, you ought to seriously consider asking your employer to
provide you with a mold-safe place to work for the remainder
of your pregnancy. Of course, your health and the health of
your associates is in jeopardy by working in a moldy building.
You should insist in writing by certified mail to your
immediate supervisor that the entire building and its
heating/cooling equipment and ducts be inspected and mold
tested by a
Certified Mold Inspector. If your employer is lax about
complying, you can do your own mold testing of the rooms' air
and of the outward air flow from heating/cooling ducts using
do it yourself mold test kits from a large hardware or home
improvement store.. Requiring workers to work in a
mold-contaminated workplace is usually considered to be a
violation of the safety laws enforced by most states' Occupational
Health and Safety Administration [OHSA]. If your employer
takes no action for effective mold inspection, testing, and
remediation, with safe work place alternative for you during
mold remediation, consider filing a complaint with your
state's OHSA. You can also hire an
environmental attorney to pursue your legal rights against
your employer.
Q.
My mother works for a company and sometimes has to open up freight
which comes from other countries. Every time she opens these boxes she has
gotten sick. The first 2 times she was having trouble breathing, tightness
to the chest, etc. After she got sick the last time she didn't open any more
freight until last Tuesday. After she got home that day from work she was
talking on the phone to my sister and just all of a sudden started coughing
and spitting up large amounts of blood. Her room mate took her to the
emergency room and the doctors had no idea what was going on. Her white
blood cell count was very high. At one point they put her in ICU so a nurse
could watch her closely. They did a brachialoscopy and found blood clots.
My mother told them what she suspected it was, but nobody seems to believe
her. They went back in 2 days ago for another brachialscopy and flushed out
her lungs. Is there a chance that there is some kind of mold that is in the
cardboard boxes when being shipped to this company?
[July 29, 2003]
A.
It is very possible that mold contamination can be present in
either the merchandise or business inventory or in the shipping containers
in which the merchandise or inventory items were shipped.. Mold is a
big world-wide problem. When containers are shipped via ocean
cargo ships, the contents are exposed to high humidity air [from
the ocean] which can encourage mold growth. Regardless of the
causes of the mold problems, it would be wise for your mother's
company to pay for environmental, microbiological, and mold
testing of any merchandise or shipping containers that cause
health problems for your mother to help identify the causes of
your mother's medical problems, whether those causes are mold
spores, bacteria, or viruses. Use do it yourself mold test kits to test
merchandise and containers. Even more basic, is there a safer
place for your mother to work, either at her current work place,
or by getting another job [easier said than done in today's
tough job market]?
Photo of water damage and mold growth in the office ceiling of a city
government building.
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