RE: NYC Department of Health - Mold Guidelines on Assessment & Remediation

[Guest guest]

I noticed that NYC has revised their remediation size

categories to the same as EPA (“Mold Remediation in Schools and

Commercial Buildings“). It is good to see agreement among the

consensus guidance documents, but I wish NYC had kept the 10-30 sq. ft. and

30-100 sq. ft. categories instead of what I think is the overly large 10-100

sq. ft. category. Note that “trained building maintenance staff” are

now deemed appropriate for remediation projects up to 100 sq. ft. whereas

previously consultation with a health and safety professional was recommended

for projects in the 30-100 sq. ft. category. Based on considerable experience

inspecting the work of typical building maintenance staff, I think this was a

really bad decision. In my opinion, the vast majority of building maintenance

staff have training that is barely (if even that) sufficient for mold

remediation involving areas less than 30 sq. ft. in size. Turning inadequately

trained and almost always inadequately equipped maintenance personnel loose on mold

remediation projects up to 100 sq. ft. in size presents (in my opinion again)

an unacceptable risk both to the workers and to whoever will be reoccupying the

space.

Curtis Redington, RS

Environmental Quality Specialist

City of Wichita Dept. of Environmental Health

From:

iequality [mailto:iequality ] On Behalf Of don

Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2008 3:07 PM

To: iequality

Subject: NYC Department of Health - Mold Guidelines on

Assessment & Remediation

Hi, all:

The updated NYC DOH Guidelines on Mold Assessment and Remediation have

been been published.

The online version can be accessed through their website at

nyc.gov/health or directly through the following link:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/epi/moldrpt1.shtml

The contact person is:

D', MS, CIH

New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene

253 Broadway, Room 402 CN-34C

New York, NY 10007

Phone