Information on Mold Clean-Up in Tropical Environments Added to Training Resource

A resource intended to provide guidance on mold remediation for workers, volunteers, and homeowners was updated this month to include information on mold clean-up in Puerto Rico and other tropical environments. The training tool, titled “Mold Clean-Up and Treatment Orientation,” was developed by the National Clearinghouse for Worker Safety and Health Training under a contract with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Worker Training Program. According to the updated resource, homes in tropical environments are commonly constructed with concrete, and this type of building material requires special attention when it comes to mold remediation. The document describes painted concrete as a “root cause of mold growth” and cautions that mold can and will grow on such surfaces.

If mold appears on painted concrete, it should be cleaned as soon as possible using a dishwashing

liquid solution with added borax, if available, the NIEHS document states. The resource recommends repainting concrete with a mold-resistant coating such as fungicidal or fungistatic paint. Individuals should not scrape damaged paint due to potential lead hazards, NIEHS cautions.

Other topics discussed in the NIEHS training resource include disaster worker protection, hazard communication, mold assessment, and personal protective equipment.

The document is available in PowerPoint and PDF format under the subhead “Mold Remediation Training Tool” on the NIEHS webpage on hurricanes and floods.

Related: An article published in the May 2018 Synergist was written by an industrial hygienist who deployed to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria on a mission to help provide temporary electrical power in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.