Post Remediation Verification (also called Clearance Testing) is industry jargon for when the mold inspector returns to test the work area after remediation is completed. It’s the process of making sure all of the mold was removed. Most mold remediation companies are familiar with the term Post Remediation Verification and will suggest the home owner have it done.
Most mold remediation companies do not realize that the first step of Post Remediation Verification is their job. Most mold remediation companies are not aware that the S520 Standard for Professional Mold Remediation states that the first step in Post Remediation Verification is for the remediation company to inspect their own work. They should do this before telling a home or building owner that it’s ready to be tested or inspected by a mold inspector. This seems like common sense. So why isn’t it done routinely?
Most of the time, the workers removing the mold are day laborers, those without the skills or the training to inspect for mold. They do what their boss tells them, and lets their boss know when they are finished. Typically this is what is specified in the estimate, no more; sometimes less.
Their supervisor often doesn’t come back to check their work. Instead, on hearing that they are finished, the supervisor, often in the office preparing estimates for other jobs, calls the homeowner and tells them it’s ready for air testing.
What they should be doing
The S520 standard for mold remediation clearly states it is the job of the remediation contractor to inspect their own work. It states they shall perform a through inspection before calling the mold inspector: [The remediator] “shall perform a post-remediation evaluation prior to contacting the consultant (mold inspector) to do post testing” – Section 12.2.11.
The S520 standard also says what the remediator should do as part of their inspection:
The evaluation performed by the remediation contractor shall include a visual inspection to ensure surfaces are clean and free of odors. The evaluation shall include moisture measurements to ensure surfaces are dry. Surfaces shall be dry prior to scheduling post-remediation verification testing. Mold will grow back unless surfaces are dry.
Next, if the remediator thinks the work area is clean and ready for testing, they should shut the equipment off. They should off the equipment used to establish negative pressure before the air testing is done. The air scrubbers (negative air machines) should be shut off for at least twenty-four hours before any air testing. Air testing should be done under normal conditions, as the home will be when you return to live in it, not with a big machine filtering the air.
Some mold remediation companies scare people into thinking the air scrubber must stay on in order to keep the house safe. Their logic is that if there is still mold present, mold they did not remove, and they shut the air scrubber off, that mold will escape and contaminate the rest of the house.
There was mold before they removed some of it. They are actually afraid that if they shut the air scrubber off they will fail the air test. The air scrubber is a big air filter. They have a better chance of passing an air test if they leave the air scrubber running.
Don’t allow this. Ask them to shut the scrubber / negative air machine off before you have the air tested. As they shut the scrubber off, they should cover and seal the air intake on it. This is a potential place for a mistake to occur. They may forget or are not be in the practice of sealing the duct intake after they shut the machine off. It’s best if you have them remove their equipment before air testing is done.
They may want to leave it at the job site so they don’t have to bring it back if they fail the air test. If they don’t have enough confidence in their work to remove all the equipment, it’s a sign they did not spend adequate time cleaning.
If you’d like to know how to make sure all of the mold is removed from your home or office, contact us to schedule a consultation. We can talk about the details and provide language to put in the contract you have with a mold remediation company. We can help make you make sure you get what you pay for: a home without mold.
