Audit, Compliance and Risk Blog

Do you check for mold when reopening after COVID lockouts?

Posted by Jon Elliott on Wed, Apr 14, 2021

As vaccinations begin to bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control, more employers are moving to reoccupy and reopen workplace areas, many of which have been closed for months. During those times, residual moisture from reduced space conditioning or under-maintained facilities may have increased the possibility of mold infestations, which might endanger people returning to your workplace. This risk makes it a good time to review basic approaches to mold remediation. The remainder of this note reviews guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

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Tags: EPA, mold, Coronavirus, CDC, Covid-19

Finding and Correcting Workplace Mold Infestations

Posted by Jon Elliott on Tue, Oct 23, 2018

Summer brought its inevitable share of rain, and even flooding and hurricanes in some places. Residual moisture increases the possibility of mold infestations, which might endanger people in your workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and state worker protection agencies have longstanding information and recommendations to employers for finding, evaluating and eradicating mold infestations in their workplaces. Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has just updated its mold cleanup as part of its broader initiatives to help employers plan for floods and hurricanes (I wrote about updated hurricane information here). EPA’s approach is narrower than OSHA’s, since it focuses on post-incident activities.

Organizations with facilities that may be subject to routine water infiltration or leaks, or sudden flooding from hurricanes or other events – should consider both sets of information.

Mold Basics

Molds and other fungi are both ubiquitous and plentiful--they have been estimated to make up a quarter of all the biomass on the planet. Molds are found almost everywhere, and can grow on just about any surface, as long as moisture and oxygen are available.

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Tags: Employer Best Practices, Health & Safety, Employee Rights, Environmental risks, Environmental, mold

Mold Damage Insurance Claim: When It Doesn’t All Come Out in the Wash

Posted by Barry Zalma on Wed, May 14, 2014

In February 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up a closely-watched legal battle concerning claims against manufacturers and retailers of front-loading washing machines accused of causing mold infestations.

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Tags: Business & Legal, Insurance, Insurance Claims, mold

Understanding Insurance Law & Mold: Winning Damages for Loss & Injury

Posted by Viola Funk on Tue, Nov 12, 2013

A recent case in British Columbia’s Supreme Court illustrates the difficulty of winning damages for loss and injury attributed to mold.

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Tags: Business & Legal, Environmental, Insurance, Insurance Claims, mold