West Virginia University

Environmental Health and Safety

_____________________________________________

STANDARD OPERATING
PROCEDURES
FOR
MOLD REMEDIATION

Origination Date – August 2013.

Contents

Purpose: ................................................................................................................................................ 2
Job Scope .............................................................................................................................................. 2
Definitions ............................................................................................................................................. 2
Roles/Responsibilities: .......................................................................................................................... 3
Environmental Health & Safety: ................................................................................................... 3
Facilities/Zone Management (FM): ............................................................................................... 3
Contractor ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Procedure for mold remediation .......................................................................................................... 4
Methods ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) ........................................................................................... 4
Work Area Containment ............................................................................................................... 4
Disposal ......................................................................................................................................... 5
Mold Response Plan Flow Chart ................................................................................................... 6
References ............................................................................................................................................ 7
Appendix ............................................................................................................................................... 8
Guidelines for Remediating Building Materials with Mold Growth Caused by Clean Water
(Refer to methods in section 5.1) ............................................................................................................. 8

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY, WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY Page 1

 Purpose:
To provide guidelines for remediating building materials contaminated with mold. It is the intent
of Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) that all mold remediation be conducted as safely as
possible.

Job Scope
If the quantity of surface area affected by the mold contamination is:

Less than 10 square feet: Remediation may be performed by properly trained in-house staff.
Work must be performed in accordance with this guidance document.

Greater than 10 square feet: Contact EHS to conduct an assessment of the affected area. Facility
Management (FM) should work with EHS to determine if contractors are needed.

Note: EHS should be consulted prior to any mold remediation work greater than 10 square feet
that is located directly within an HVAC system, or if any materials are suspect asbestos
containing building materials.

Definitions

a) Containment - A component or enclosure designed or intended to control the release of

mold or mold-containing dust or materials into surrounding areas in the building.

b) Indoor air - Air within the envelope of a building, including air in spaces normally
occupied by persons in the building but excluding air in attics and crawl spaces that are
vented to the outside of the building.

c) Indoor mold - Mold contamination that was not purposely grown or brought into a
building and that has the potential to affect the indoor air quality of the building.

d) Mold - Any living or dead fungi or related products or parts, including spores, hyphae,
and mycotoxins.

e) Mold remediation - The removal, cleaning, sanitizing, demolition, or other treatment,

including preventive activities, of mold or mold-contaminated matter that was not
purposely grown at a location. Preventive activities include those intended to prevent
future mold contamination of a remediated area, including applying biocides or anti-
microbial compounds.

f) Mold sampling- The examination of a sample collected during a mold assessment for the
purpose of:

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY, WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY Page 2

 o Determining the presence and/or amount of mold.
o Identifying the type of mold.

Roles/Responsibilities:
Environmental Health & Safety:
o Evaluate areas suspected to be contaminated by mold growth and provide
recommendations to Facilities Management for remediation.
o Assist Facilities Management in identifying the underlying causes of water
intrusion and mold growth and develop the appropriate response(s) to prevent
recurrence.
o Assess conditions for occupancy after water restoration or mold remediation
activities.

Facilities/Zone Management (FM):

o Shall identify and fix the source(s) of water leak(s) or intrusion.
o Shall arrange and manage contract services for water removal and restorative
drying of affected structure.
o Shall notify EHS immediately when an area of suspected mold growth is
discovered, in excess of 10 square feet, is located within HVAC equipment or any
contaminated materials are suspected to be asbestos containing.

Contractor:
o Shall evaluate and document the extent of damage (e.g. water or mold) in the
structure, systems and building contents using appropriate monitoring and
detection equipment.
o Shall designate a project leader, representing the contractor, to work with EHS
and Facilities Management personnel during the entire project.
o Shall provide EHS and FM representative a written action plan. Depending on the
response activity, the action plan will include a timeline and goals for drying and
the implementation of mold remediation techniques.
o The contractor must notify FM if situations arise that may require a deviation
from the original action plan.
o Shall record and document all activities and services performed in response to the
problem. For water restoration, records would include complete moisture
readings.
o Shall complete the project in a manner which complies with all government
regulations and procedures.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY, WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY Page 3

 Procedure for mold remediation
Mold growth within an occupied building is indicative of a water problem. The cause of the
water problem must be investigated and resolved to prevent remediating the same site
multiple times. Likewise, when water is introduced into the indoor environment the affected
area must be dried as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours) to avoid the promotion of mold
growth.
Once the source of water problem is identified and eliminated, several methods for
remediating visible mold growth are possible. Each situation will dictate which method is
most appropriate.

Methods
A. Method1: Wet vacuum- steam cleaning may be an alternative for carpets and upholstery.

B. Method 2: Damp wipe with plain water or with water/detergent solution, scrub as
necessary. Never mix bleach and ammonia. Toxic fumes may be produced. Detergent
must be approved by FM.

C. Method 3: HEPA vacuum on thoroughly dry surfaces. Dispose of HEPA contents in a

well-sealed plastic bag.

D. Method 4: Discard contaminated material in a sealed plastic bag. HEPA vacuum area
after material has been removed and then dispose of HEPA contents in a well-sealed
plastic bag.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Employees engaging in the abatement of mold shall have the following PPE available
for their use:
o Safety glasses/goggles
o N95 Respirator
o Disposable Coveralls
o Gloves

If an employee has questions concerning the appropriate PPE, they should contact their
supervisor or EHS.

Work Area Containment

Containment of a work area for in-house work less than 10 sq. ft. will not likely be
needed, but there are some precautions that will be required prior to performing actual
remediation work.
For all mold remediation projects, general isolation will be required.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY, WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY Page 4

 The following are best management practices:
o Close all doors and restrict general access to the workplace while actual
remediation is being performed.
o If possible, perform work during hours of minimal building occupancy, such as
nights or weekends.
o HVAC systems in the immediate area of the work shall be shut down and/or the
HVAC returns shall be blanked off where applicable.
o Windows in the workplace should be closed and any portable fans shall be turned
off.

Disposal
Once mold contaminated materials have been removed and sealed in plastic bags, waste can
be disposed of as regular trash. No special labeling or disposal requirements are necessary.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY, WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY Page 5

 Mold Response Plan Flow Chart

Mold Complaint
Received

Assess size of problem & Communicate with

note type of damaged occupants
materials throughout process

Plan remediation,
adapt guidelines Select
to fit situation. remediation Outside
Refer to Moisture personnel or expertise
Intrusion SOP team

Select personal Remediate

protective
equipment (PPE)

Select
containment
equipment

Hidden mold
discovered,
re-evaluate Remediate
plan

Clean and dry Discard moldy Dry non-moldy

moldy materials. items that can’t be items within 48
Refer to Moisture cleaned. Refer to hours. Refer to
Intrusion SOP Moisture Moisture
intrusion SOP Intrusion SOP

Check for return of

moisture and mold
problem

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY, WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY Page 6

 References
o Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) IICRC
S500, Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Water Damage Restoration,
2nd edition. 1999.
o Mold cleanup after the flood.
http://www.schoharierecovery.org/Cornell%20Mold_Cleanup_After_the_Flood.p
df
o Mold Inspection and Remediation Rules. Indoor Air Quality Program. HTML
version of the file. http://www.normi.org/docs-
laws/NORMIRecommendedLicensingRegulationsFINAL.pdf.
o New York City Department of Health, Bureau of Environmental & Occupational
Disease Epidemiology. Guidelines on Assessment and Remediation of Fungi in
Indoor Environments. 2000. HTML version of the file
http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/epi/epi-mold-guidelines.pdf.
o The Ohio State University. Facilities Operations and Development. Indoor Flood
Cleanup and Mold remediation Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
o U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Mold Remediation in Schools and
Commercial Buildings EPA 402-K-01-001.
http://www.epa.gov/iedmold1/table2.html

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY, WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY Page 7

 Appendix
Guidelines for Remediating Building Materials with Mold Growth
Caused by Clean Water (Refer to methods in section 5.1)
Material or Furnishing Personal Protective
Cleanup Methods Containment
Affected Equipment
SMALL - Total Surface Area Affected Less Than 10 square feet (ft2)
Books and papers 3
Carpet and backing 1, 3
Concrete or cinder block 1, 3
Hard surface, porous
flooring (linoleum, 1, 2, 3
ceramic tile, vinyl) Recommended
Non-porous, hard
None required
surfaces (plastics, 1, 2, 3 N-95 respirator, gloves,
metals) and goggles
Upholstered furniture &
1, 3
drapes
Wallboard (drywall and
3
gypsum board)
Wood surfaces 1, 2, 3
MEDIUM - Total Surface Area Affected Between 10 and 100 (ft2)
Books and papers 3
Carpet and backing 1,3,4
Concrete or cinder block 1,3
Hard surface, porous Limited
flooring (linoleum, 1,2,3 Limited or Full
ceramic tile, vinyl) Use professional
Use professional
Non-porous, hard judgment, consider
judgment, consider
surfaces (plastics, 1,2,3 potential for
potential for remediator
metals) remediator/occupant
exposure and size of
Upholstered furniture & exposure and size of
1,3,4 contaminated area
drapes contaminated area
Wallboard (drywall and
3,4
gypsum board)
Wood surfaces 1,2,3

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY, WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY Page 8

 LARGE - Total Surface Area Affected Greater Than 100 (ft2) or Potential for
Increased Occupant or Remediator Exposure During Remediation Estimated to be
Significant
Books and papers 3
Carpet and backing 1,3,4
Concrete or cinder block 1,3
Hard surface, porous Full Full
flooring (linoleum, 1,2,3,4
ceramic tile, vinyl) Use professional
Non-porous, hard judgment, consider Use professional
surfaces (plastics, 1,2,3 potential for judgment, consider
metals) remediator/occupant potential for remediator
Upholstered furniture & exposure and size of exposure and size of
1,2,4 contaminated area contaminated area
drapes
Wallboard (drywall and
3,4
gypsum board)
Wood surfaces 1,2,3,4

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY, WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY Page 9