Mold is a hot topic in the news lately as related to workplace safety and health. At a recent BLR audio conference, experts discussed 6 things the media might not be telling you about mold and your workplace exposure.

1. It's everywhere! Mold is considered by experts to be present everywhere and on all types of surfaces (including in the air) in some concentration. Mold is a fungus-a living organism-and experiences a life cycle. This means that the concentration of mold in an area is in a constant state of flux-constantly growing, reproducing, and dying.
2. You can water down the problem. Mold is a very good indicator of a water problem. In a lot of cases, if you remove excess water in your building, you will eliminate the mold problem. A lack of moisture will limit the growth of mold inside buildings.
3. Refrain from sampling, at least at first. There are more than 100,000 types of mold and many ways to sample and test for it. There's no way to get an accurate result from a test unless it is subjected to the appropriate sampling and testing method for its species. So, if you are not sure you have a mold problem, sampling from the get-go can be quite expensive because most mold problems require multiple samples. However, if your facility is suspected to contain high levels of mold, experts recommend you conduct an assessment before you grab a sample and send it off to the lab. Ask yourself--Can you see mold? Smell it? Do you have a water problem? Are you susceptible to flooding or water damage? What are the seasonal variations of your area? Do you live by a body of water that puts excessive moisture in the air? Do you have a poor or outdated ventilation system in your facility? If the answer is "yes," then you should talk to an expert about the types of mold you may have in your facility.
4. There are currently no exposure levels of mold. Because humans are exposed to immunosuppressive drugs, such as prednisone and chemotherapy, no permissible exposure levels have been set for mold. However, it has been proven that children, the elderly, and immune-compromised people can have an aggravated response to mold. Experts said that some people can also develop an allergy to mold or be predisposed to mold allergies. But right now there is no effort to correlate health effects and mold exposure.
5. Bleach kills mold, so what! Bleach will kill actively growing fungi, including mold spores, BUT, the dead spores can still cause an allergic response. The best way to rid mold is to eliminate excess water in your facility.
6. You can't terminate a sick employee because of a mold-related illness. If you have an employee who is convinced he or she has a workplace mold allergy and has the support of a doctor, experts suggest that it may be more cost-effective to accommodate the employee. Even if worker's compensation finds minimal mold counts in your facility and denies a claim, you may open yourself up for a lawsuit if you terminate the employee. Because there is very little legislature regarding mold, a lot of claims come down to the "battle of the experts" in court and this could get expensive. If possible, offer options like telecommuting to accommodate the worker. If you cannot accommodate the employee, make sure you have a great expert to combat the claims and speak to your attorney before you terminate the employee.

For more information about BLR audio conferences or to purchase a CD copy of this audio conference, click here.