ASSE Comments on Mold Bill

[Guest guest]

http://www.asse.org/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Diane Hurns, ASSE PR Manager

(847) 768-3413 or

dhurns@...

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF SAFETY ENGINEERS COMMENT ON MOLD BILL

DES PLAINES, IL (August 26, 2002) - Incorporating certified

occupational safety, health and environmental professionals; calling for the

need for scientific research on the link between mold and health; and,

supporting a tax credit were some of the suggestions the American Society of

Safety Engineers (ASSE) sent recently to Rep. Conyers, Jr. on H.R.

5040, the " United States Toxic Mold Safety and Protection Act of 2002 " .

The bill, introduced in the House last June, calls for mandating

comprehensive research into mold growth, generating guidelines for

preventing indoor mold growth, establishing standards for removing mold when

it does grow, authorizing tax credits for inspection and/or remediation of

mold removal in public buildings, and much more.

" We commend you for addressing in legislation the rapidly growing

national concern over the health risks associated with mold, " ASSE President

Mark Hansen, PE, CSP, stated in his August 23 letter to Rep. Conyers. " This

bill is a significant, meaningful first step in finding ways at the federal

level to address the mold issue and to provide a safety net of protections

to those whose health is compromised by it. "

However, Hansen continues, the members of ASSE are concerned that the

wording of the bill limits the type of professionals that can perform the

inspections, remediation and planning work to only industrial hygienists

when, in fact, a variety of occupational safety, health and environmental

professionals are highly qualified to perform this work.

" Restricting the kinds of professionals who may address mold not only

overlooks most professionals that businesses and public agencies now turn to

in order to make buildings safe from environmental threats such as mold, it

would also keep the bill from achieving its goal, " Hansen wrote.

Rather than requiring the promulgation of standards for specific

safety and health professions, ASSE recommends that the bill instead should

address requirements for education and training of those involved in the

recognition, evaluation and control of mold-related problems.

ASSE applauds Rep. Conyers for including provisions in HR 5040 that

would provide antitrust protections for the development of industry

standards addressing mold-retardant building products. The letter requests

that he consider making such an incentive applicable in general to all

industry efforts aimed at establishing standards that can help bring safer,

healthier and environmentally sound products to market.

ASSE also commended Rep. Conyers for including tax incentives for mold

inspection and remediation.

" ASSE has long called for tax incentives to encourage private sector

interests to invest in workplace safety, " Hansen said. " Typically,

investment in safety results in savings beyond saving lives and reducing

injuries. ASSE is confident that the same outcome will result from this

public investment. "

As for requiring standards for certification of mold testing labs as

called for in the bill, ASSE recommends that the legislation recognize the

already existing accreditation programs the American National Standards

Institute and the American Industrial Hygiene Association have in place and

are used in the private sector.

ASSE notes a need for more research on mold. An August 2002 article

titled " Mold 101: An Overview for Safety, Health and Environmental

Professionals " that appeared in ASSE's Professional Safety Journal says,

" while the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the

American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) currently

offer guidelines for determining mold risk, much of the information on the

health risks of mold is only anecdotal. " The article, which can be found at

http://www.asse.org, goes on to say " it is hoped that continued studies of

the relationship between airborne mold levels and health effects will

eventually move the information from a quasi-industry standard to a

full-fledged consensus standard and perhaps ultimately, provide the basis

for regulatory guidance. "

" The need for research that can determine the link between mold and

health far outweighs the need for specific action, " Hansen wrote.

If a standard is to be established, ASSE urges Rep. Conyers to include

the guidelines already recommended by OSHA, ACGIH and other organizations

and develop one through a voluntary consensus process. It is also important

to include organizations that develop national building construction

standards and codes that address mold such as the Building Official Code

Administrators International and the National Fire Protection Association.

Founded in 1911, ASSE is the oldest and largest professional safety

organization and is dedicated to protecting people, property and the

environment. Its over 30,000 members manage, supervise, and consult on

safety, health and environmental issues in all industries, government and

education. For more information and a full copy of the letter sent to Rep.

Conyers visit ASSE's website www.asse.org.