This season has already seen its fair share of rain. However, if your team is renovating a basement, flooding may not be the only issue. Your construction and renovation workforce is susceptible to many risks, especially if they work in other people’s homes. Have you ever thought about the potential harm mold can cause to the health of your employees?

As the manager, you should be concerned about your workforce and their indoor exposure to mold, along with the variety of health effects and symptoms it causes. There are measures you can take to protect the health of workers involved in mold cleanup and prevention. Having the ability to reasonably judge whether mold contamination can be managed is a good first step to take.

Problems may arise when mold starts eating away at materials, affecting the look, smell, and possibly the structural integrity of the building. Where moisture is present, molds can grow on almost any substance. Molds reproduce by creating tiny spores that can float through the indoor and outdoor air. While it is impossible to eliminate all molds and spores, controlling moisture can control indoor mold growth.

Other mold prevention tips include:
• Looking for condensation/wet spots and cleaning them as soon as possible, but no more than 48 hours after discovery.
• Performing regularly scheduled building/ HVAC inspections and maintenance, including filter changes.
• Maintaining indoor relative humidity below 70% (25 – 60%, if possible).
• Providing adequate drainage around buildings and sloping the ground away from building foundations.

At Hickey-Finn & Co, Inc, we hope these mold prevention tips help keep your employees and customers safe. It is important to be aware of the health risks you face on the job in order to reduce injuries and accidents. By being prepared for the worst case scenarios, you and your team can get the job done without any mishaps.

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