Workplace Mold Harms Employee Health and Employer Finances

Exposure to elevated levels of indoor mold in the workplace building and air conditioning system can cause serious health damage to workers, visitors, and customers, plus be costly to the employer because of increased worker sick days, health insurance claims, poor morale, worker’s compensation claims, and employee mold lawsuits. The hazards of workplace mold and indoor mold in general can be devastating. Potential health effects and symptoms associated with mold exposures include allergic reactions, asthma, and other respiratory complaints.

The employer has a legal duty and obligation to employees, guests, visitors, and customers to provide an environmentally safe work environment, and that includes no significant mold dangers.

Knowingly tolerating and not correctly quickly and effectively elevated levels of indoor in the workplace and its heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment and ducts is a clear violation of both the employer’s legal duty to provide a safe workplace and of state and federal Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OHSA) laws and regulations.

Mold is Often Hidden

Workplace mold is often hidden inside the employer’s furniture, fixtures, and equipment, plus on and inside the employer’s building walls, floor (especially carpeting and padding), ceiling (especially drywall and ceiling tiles), attic, basement, crawl space, and frequently inside the HVAC system, as well as inside window or wall air conditioners.

Employers, managers, and employees can learn how to find, remove, and prevent workplace mold by reading the in depth information and advice provided on these three educational websites: http://www.workplacemold.com, http://www.airconditionermold.com, and http://www.moldinspector.com.

In addition, there are a number of useful tips to handle and prevent mold in the home and to prevent mold in buildings in general on the Environmental Protection Agencies Mold website epa.gov/mold.

Companies and workers can get free email mold advice by writing mold expert Phillip Fry at moldconsultant@yahoo.com. Mr. Fry is a Certified Environmental Hygienist, Certified Mold Inspector, and Certified Mold Remediator.

Fry is also the author of five mold advice ebooks, and he has extensive mold inspection, testing, and remediation experience since 1999 throughout the USA, Canada, mainland China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines.