Mold Remediation Project Preparation

Appliance Handling:

• Disconnection and Removal:

  • All appliances within the designated work area must be disconnected from their power and utility sources.

  • Thorough cleaning of all appliance surfaces is required to remove any potential mold contamination.

  • Following cleaning, appliances should be removed from the work area to prevent recontamination and to facilitate unobstructed remediation activities.

  • If removal from the work area isn't practical, then they must be enveloped with 4 or 6 mil poly.

Plumbing Fixture Management:

• Water Heater and Similar Fixtures:

  • Plumbing fixtures, such as water heaters, that obstruct demolition or remediation processes must be detached & removed from the work area.

    1. In the event of the property requiring hot water through the duration of the project, the water heater will be detached, the demolition required completed, and the water heater reinstalled in a nearby location where the rest of production can continue. 

  • These fixtures should be thoroughly cleaned to eliminate any mold contamination.

  • Once removed, water supply lines associated with these fixtures must be properly capped to prevent water leakage, or accidental restoration of water.

Sewer Connection Management:

• Capping and Sealing:

  • Capping and sealing all sewer connections (including toilet, sink, tub, and other open connections) are essential.

  • This critical step prevents microbial growth from within the sewer lines from being drawn into the containment area.

  • Failure to properly seal sewer connections can lead to:

    • Projects being "flagged" by the Industrial Hygienist/Certified Indoor Environmentalist (IH/CIE) during visual inspections prior to air sample collection.

    • Almost certain failure of air samples when lab results are returned, due to contamination from sewer borne microbes.

Equipment Placement:

• Place the dehumidifiers & AFDs into the work area. 

• Connect ductwork to AFDs to exhaust out of a window. 

• Utilize enough ducting to allow movement of the unit throughout the work area. 

• If using lay flat ducting on AFDs, tie a knot in the end of the hose & cut 2 -3” slits in the perimeter of the hose, parallel to the hose length, about 12-15” from the knot. 

• Close the window on the hose. 

• Switch on the dehumidifiers & AFDs.

Find Critical Cut off Valves & Electrical Breaker Panels:

• Before any work starts, employees must find & test the whole house water cut off valve to confirm that it effectively stops the water flow.

• Employees must also locate and test which breakers disconnect power from the work area. 

Setup Containments:

• Plastic barriers need to be constructed prior to getting started with any work that will generate particulate. 

• Barriers must have needed egress points prepared to allow production employees into & out of the primary work area.

Prep Workstations for Production Work: 

• Setup a trash can with a liner inside the primary containment, near the egress point to allow employees to remove & discard their PPE prior to stepping outside of the containment into an unaffected area.

• Setup a PPE box & small table outside of the primary containment, either in a clean room/ equipment room or just outside of the primary containment. 

• Employees should be able to put on new PPE prior to stepping into the containment. 

• A chair or 2 outside the containment makes putting Tyvek suits on easier and faster. 

• The entire toolbox should be just inside the primary containment so that all tools required for the project are easily accessible to employees.