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What is the IICRC S500 Standard and how should it
Be Used to Manage Water Damage Claims?

By: Patrick Moffett, CHMM, REA
Copyright © 2009 Patrick Moffett. All Rights Reserved

Notice:

Often property adjusters are at odds with water damage cleanup contractors. This education bulletin provides valuable information to consumers, insurance adjusters and restorers about current water damage restoration industry standards of care and the role of experts and environmental professionals.
This bulletin is not intended to replace or amend ANSI/IICRC S500 2006 edition. As a procedural document the S500 is over 300 pages in length. Adjusters and restorers who are not up to date on the information contained in the S500 Standard 2006 edition should take a continuing education class.

Patrick Moffett

About the Author:

Patrick Moffett is a senior consultant and partner of Environmental Management & Engineering, Inc., located in Huntington Beach California.

Patrick is a licensed general contractor in several states, a California registered environmental assessor, certified hazardous materials manager, master restorer, senior environmental/industrial hygienist, certified building science thermographer; and he holds other certifications in water, mold and fire damage building remediation and restoration.

For over 25 years Patrick lectures and teaches classes across the U.S., Canada and U.K., on remediating chemical and biological contamination in buildings; OSHA safety codes and regulations.
Patrick has published over 50 articles and 5 books on environmental and building remediation practices.
Patrick provides mediation, arbitration and expert witness testimony across the U.S. involving causation associated with water, mold, sewage and fire damaged properties; Patrick also provides expert testimony in industry standards of care and OSHA compliance.

Contact Patrick Moffett through his office phone: 714-379-1096. Cell phone: 714-928-4008. Email PMoffett@emeiaq.com or PatMoffett@att.net.

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This is another highly valuable technical document by Patrick Moffett, CHMM, REA

Senior Environmental/Industrial Hygienist
Registered Environmental Assessor
Licensed General Contractor
Certified Master Restorer
Copyright © 2009 Patrick Moffett. All Rights Reserved
Survey Forms for Water Damaged Structures (177)

By: Patrick Moffett, CHMM, REA
Copyright © 2009 Patrick Moffett. All Rights Reserved

“An exhaustive review of the scientific literature made it clear to us that it can be very hard to tease apart the health effects of exposure to mold from all the other factors that may be influencing health in the typical indoor environment,” said committee chair Noreen Clark, dean, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. “That said, we were able to find sufficient evidence that certain respiratory problems, including symptoms in asthmatics who are sensitive to mold, are associated with exposure to mold and damp conditions. Even though the available evidence does not link mold or other factors associated with building moisture to all the serious health problems that some attribute to them, excessive indoor dampness is a widespread problem that warrants action at the local, state, and national levels.”

Excessive dampness influences whether mold as well as bacteria, dust mites, and other such agents are present and thrive indoors. Moreover, wetness may cause chemicals and particles to be released from building materials. Many studies of health effects possibly related to indoor dampness do not distinguish the specific health effects of different biological or chemical agents.

Through its careful review of the available scientific studies, the committee found sufficient evidence to conclude that mold and damp conditions are associated with asthma symptoms in asthmatics who are sensitive to mold, and to coughing, wheezing, and upper respiratory tract symptoms in otherwise healthy people. However, the evidence did not meet the strict scientific standards needed to establish a clear, causal relationship. An uncommon ailment known as hypersensitivity pneumonitis also is associated with indoor mold exposure in genetically susceptible people. Damp conditions and all they entail may be associated with the onset of asthma, as well as shortness of breath and lower respiratory illness in otherwise healthy children, although the evidence is less certain in these circumstances. Likewise, the presence of visible mold indoors may be linked to lower respiratory tract illness in children, but the evidence is not as strong in this case.

The committee found very few studies that have examined whether mold or other factors associated with indoor dampness are linked to fatigue, neuropsychiatric disorders, or other health problems that some people have attributed to fungal infestations of buildings. The little evidence that is available does not support an association, but because of the dearth of well-conducted studies and reliable data, the committee could not rule out the possibility.

Studies on animals and cell cultures in labs have found toxic effects from various microbial agents, raising concerns about whether these same agents growing in buildings can cause illness in people. Molds that are capable of producing toxins do grow indoors, and toxic and inflammatory effects also can be caused by bacteria that flourish in damp conditions, the report noted. Little information exists on the toxic potential of chemicals or particles that may be released when building materials, furniture, and other items degrade because of wetness. The committee recommended that current animal studies of short-term, high-level inhalation exposures to microbial toxins be supplemented with new research that evaluates the effects of long-term exposures at lower concentrations.

Moisture and mold problems stem from building designs, construction and maintenance practices, and building materials in which wetness lingers. Technical information describing how to control dampness already exists, but architects, engineers, building contractors, facility managers, and maintenance staff do not always apply this knowledge, the report says. Training curricula on why dampness problems occur and how to prevent them should be produced and disseminated. Guidelines for preventing indoor dampness also should be developed at the national level to promote widespread adoption and to avoid the potential for conflicting advice from different quarters. In addition, building codes and regulations should be reviewed and modified as necessary to reduce moisture problems.

Research on various means to prevent or eliminate excessive dampness — including educational initiatives and building renovations or design changes — should be undertaken to find out which are effective. While there is universal agreement that promptly fixing leaks and cleaning up spills or standing water substantially reduces the potential for mold growth, there is little evidence that shows which forms of moisture control or prevention work best at reducing health problems associated with dampness, the report notes. In addition, materials designed to educate the public about the actual health risks associated with indoor dampness should be developed and evaluated. The effectiveness of economic and other incentives to spur adherence to moisture prevention practices — such as bonuses for facility managers who meet defined goals for preventing or reducing problems, or fines for failure to correct problems by a specified deadline — should be evaluated, and successful strategies should be implemented.

The committee had insufficient information to recommend either an appropriate level of dampness reduction, or a safe level of exposure to organisms and chemicals linked to dampness. Better standardized methods for assessing human exposure to these agents are greatly needed, the report says. It calls for studies that compare various ways to limit moisture or eliminate mold and to evaluate whether the interventions improve occupants’ health.

The study was sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Institute of Medicine is a private, nonprofit institution that provides health policy advice under a congressional charter granted to the National Academy of Sciences. A committee roster follows.

Pre-publication copies of Damp Indoor Spaces and Health are available from the National Academies Press; tel. 202-334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242 or on the Internet at http://www.nap.edu. Reporters may obtain a copy from the Office of News and Public Information (contacts listed above).

[ This news release and report are available at http://national-academies.org ]

INSTITUTE OF MEDICINE
Board on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Committee on Damp Indoor Spaces and Health

Noreen M. Clark, Ph.D. (chair)
Dean
School of Public Health;
Marshall H. Becker Professor of Public Health; and
Professor of Pediatrics
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor

Harriet M. Ammann, Ph.D., D.A.B.T.
Senior Toxicologist
Air Quality Program
Washington State Department of Ecology
Olympia

Bert Brunekreff, Ph.D.
Professor of Environmental Epidemiology
Institute of Risk Assessment Sciences
University of Utrecht
Netherlands

Peyton A. Eggleston, M.D.
Professor of Pediatrics
School of Medicine, and
Professor of Environmental Health Science
Bloomberg School of Public Health
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore

William J. Fisk, M.S., P.E.
Senior Staff Scientist and Department Head
Indoor Environment Department
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Berkeley, Calif.

Robert E. Fullilove III, Ed.D.
Associate Dean for Community and Minority Affairs, and Associate Professor of Clinical Sociomedical Sciences
Mailman School of Public Health
Columbia University
New York City

Judith Guernsey, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Community Health and Epidemiology
Dalhousie University
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Canada

Aino Nevalainen, Ph.D.
Head of Laboratory
Division of Environmental Health
National Public Health Institute
Kuipio, Finland

Susanna G. Von Essen, M.D.
Professor of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha

CONSULTANTS TO THE COMMITTEE

Terry Brennan, M.S.
President
Camroden Associates Inc.
Westmoreland, N.Y.

Jeroen Douwes, Ph.D.
Associate Director
Centre for Public Health Research
Massey University
Wellington, New Zealand

INSTITUTE STAFF

David A. Butler, Ph.D.
Study Director

Swine Flu Information for Building Owners, Health Professionals and Environmental Disinfection Contractors

Common Answers about Cleaning and Disinfecting Chemicals
1.
Detergents and warm water washing provide the best cleaning method for materials and surfaces that are dirty.
2.
Disinfectants work best once the surface is clean.
3.
Regular dishwashing detergents work well on dishes that can be washed in the sink or dishwasher.
4.
Hot water washing of linens and laundry followed by drying in the sun or dryer works best for fabrics.
Recommended Cleaning and Disinfecting Methods for Surfaces and Contents
Rooms requiring a general surface cleaning generally involve the cleaning of surfaces an average person can touch plus 3 feet beyond that surface. In these situations consider:
•
Securing the work area except for qualified employees.
•
Stage cleaning chemicals, disinfectants and containers in an orderly process where you are always using clean solutions.
o
This process will allow you to have a fresh supply of cleaners, disinfectants and towels.
•
Doors, knobs and handles should be cleaned twice:
o
When entering and cleaning the room for the first time; and
o
On completion of the room’s cleaning process.
•
When many desks and surfaces are involved, triage the work area into manageable sections:
o
The most difficult to the least difficult;
o
The farthest surface to the closest surface that allows you out of the workspace.
•
When different types of surfaces are involved such as non-porous desks, phones, computers and keyboards, each surface or material may require a different cleaning and disinfecting solution that will not damage them.
•
Book covers require a good surface cleaning. Do not attempt to clean pages of books.
•
Works of art may require special handling and cleaning methods. Ask the owner for their approved cleaning procedures and follow that procedure. Valuable contents, contents having a patina, photographs and oil paints should not be disinfected without the advice of a certified contents restorer or conservator.
•
Dishes and general kitchen items that can safely be placed in a dishwasher can be cleaned and sanitized by normal cleaning processes.
•
Open food should be disposed.
•
Open personal sanitary items such as makeup, soap, toothpaste, contact lens cleaner should be disposed.
•

Laundry can be laundered by normal cleaning processes.

•
Children’s toys can usually be cleaned and disinfected.
o
When there is a question about children’s toys and how they should be cleaned and sanitized or disposed, as a general rule of thumb:

Your friends,

The Carpet & Fabric Institute