Health and Safety Considerations in Mold Remediation Flashcards

A remediation worker with a known latex allergy should use which type of gloves during mold remediation?

Answer: Nitrile gloves, which provide chemical resistance and are latex-free

Nitrile gloves are latex-free, provide good chemical and puncture resistance, and are the standard alternative for workers with latex allergies.

According to EPA guidelines, mold remediation in schools and commercial buildings should be conducted with air monitoring results compared to:

Answer: Outdoor ambient air spore counts from the same time period

No regulatory PELs exist for mold; the EPA recommends comparing indoor air samples to outdoor baseline samples taken simultaneously to assess contamination.

Which symptom pattern in a building's occupants most strongly suggests ongoing mold exposure rather than a one-time incident?

Answer: Acute symptoms that resolve immediately upon leaving the building but recur upon return

Symptoms that resolve away from the building and return upon re-entry indicate a building-related illness pattern consistent with ongoing mold exposure.

The Assigned Protection Factor (APF) for a full-face air-purifying respirator is:

Answer: 50

OSHA assigns a protection factor of 50 to full-face air-purifying respirators, meaning they reduce airborne concentration by a factor of 50 compared to ambient levels.

After completing a mold remediation project, clearance air sampling should be conducted:

Answer: After all containment is removed and the area has returned to normal conditions

Clearance sampling must occur after containment removal under normal building conditions to confirm remediation success and that the space is safe for reoccupancy.

Which engineering control is considered most effective at preventing mold spore migration from a containment zone to adjacent clean areas?

Answer: Negative air pressure maintained by HEPA-filtered air scrubbers exhausting outside

Negative air pressure created by HEPA-filtered exhaust ensures that air flows from clean areas into the work zone, preventing spore migration outward.

A mold remediation supervisor notices a worker's N95 respirator has a visible gap at the nose bridge during work. The immediate corrective action is to:

Answer: Have the worker exit the containment, re-don the respirator properly, and recheck the seal

A poor seal renders the respirator ineffective; the worker must exit the contaminated area immediately, re-fit the respirator, and perform a user seal check before re-entry.