Page 39 - OHS, April/May 2023

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and they should avoid using any product or application method to administer a gas or vapor in the air that is intended to kill microbes without prior cleaning and/or if the application like fogging or misting is not specifically registered for that product. Remediation contractors should also not use microbial-resistant coatings as “sealants” or “encapsulants” to contain or cover microbial growth and should avoid cleaning contaminated building contents as part of the overall remediation project. Hot or cold temperature extremes should not be used as an alternative to cleaning. These workers should bypass cleaning the heating, air conditioning and ventilation system when recommended by an indoor air quality professional. Disinfectants may be used by the reme- diator contractor only after cleaning the surface first. These chemical agents should be used only as a supplemental treatment wherever there is a need to prevent future microbial growth. If the building owner or facility manager seeks to maintain LEED building certification, only plant-based, botanical or environmentally friendly products should be used to prevent the introduction of chemical solvents into the indoor environment. There is another important consid- eration regarding the denaturing of mi- crobial growth that is not fully addressed in the IICRC S520 standard. This means the microbial growth no longer has the ability to replicate due to the interaction with a chemical or physical agent. While proteins can be denatured by other means such as sterilization with heat, using eth- ylene oxide gas, hydrogen peroxide vapor or ultraviolet radiation, these remedial measures are contraindicated because of toxicity or physical harm. The IICRC S520 standard does not address the issue of us- ing certain chemical products for this pur- pose but certainly alludes to the fact that such remediation methods alone should be strongly discouraged to avoid reme- diation. Products developed for this pur- pose should be used only after thoroughly cleaning and remediating to prevent fu- ture microbial growth. Training alone does not provide suffi- cient qualification or competency to alle- viate microbial growth in buildings. Com- petency should be based on several key factors such as past performance besides training, education and experience. Certi- fification requirements should consider the extent of previous fifield experience in mi- crobial remediation, formal coursework to understand the best practices to perform the work and successfully completing a written exam. Some governmental agen- cies require mold remediation certifica- tion as a requirement for performing con- tract services. Remediators should know contract and insurance requirements and comply with all applicable laws and regu- lations. Will the new IICRC S520 standard stand up to scrutiny under ANSI review? ThThe standard will likely move us in the right direction to protect workers, the pub- lic and property owners or managers while controlling abatement costs. It also pro- vides a benchmark to ensure remediation work will be done within the framework of the IICRC S520 standard. Bernard L. Fontaine, Jr. CIH, CSP, FAI- HA is the Managing Partner of The Wind- sor Consulting Group, Inc. The LION BullsEyeTM Digital Fire Extinguisher Training System allows you to conduct extinguisher training anywhere. Pair it with the LION R.A.C.E. StationTM to help reinforce the Rescue, Alert, Confine, Extinguisher method and better prepare your trainees to respond to an actual fire emergency. WWW.LIONPROTECTS.COM/FIRE-SAFETY-TRAINING-TOOLS www.ohsonline.com APRIL/MAY 2023 | Occupational Health & Safety 39