OTHER SAFETY AND HEALTH HAZARDS
Recovery workers involved in mold remediation may face additional hazards on the job site. Common
hazards include downed electrical wires, carbon monoxide and electrical hazards from portable generators,
fall and "struck-by" hazards from tree limbs or working at heights, working in unprotected excavations or
confined spaces, burns, lacerations, musculoskeletal injuries, being struck by traffic or heavy equipment, and
encountering contaminated water during cleanup and recovery efforts.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Safety and Health Topics page on Molds:
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/molds/index.html
• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Indoor Environmental Quality page on
dampness and mold in buildings: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/indoorenv/mold.html
•
New York State Department of Health Disaster Recovery Information, http://www.health.ny.gov/
environmental/emergency/weather/hurricane/faq/docs/faqs.pdf
•
National Center for Healthy Housing, "Creating a Healthy Home: A Field Guide for Clean-Up of Flooded
Homes" http://www.nchh.org/Portals/0/Contents/FloodCleanupGuide_screen_.pdf
•
OSHA Respiratory Protection standard (29 CFR 1910.134) at http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/
owadisp.show_ document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=12716
ASSISTANCE FOR EMPLOYERS
OSHA's On-site Consultation Program offers free and confidential advice to small and medium-sized
businesses in all states across the country, with priority given to high-hazard worksites. On-site Consultation
services are separate from enforcement and do not result in penalties or citations. Consultants from state
agencies or universities work with employers to identify workplace hazards, provide advice on compliance with
OSHA standards, and assist in establishing safety and health management systems. To locate the OSHA On-
site Consultation Program nearest you, call 1-800-321-OSHA (6742) or visit http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/
smallbusiness/index.html.
This guidance document creates no new legal obligations. It contains recommendations as well as descriptions
of OSHA safety and health standards. For a comprehensive list of compliance requirements of OSHA standards
or regulations, refer to Title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations. This information will be made available by
the OSHA Office of Communications to sensory-impaired individuals upon request. The voice phone is (202)
693-1999; teletypewriter (TTY) number: (877) 889-5627.
i. Brown, C., Burkhart, J., Burton, N., Cox-Ganser, J., Damon, S., Falk, H., ... & Weissman, D. (2006). Mold Prevention Strategies and Possible Health
Effects in the Aftermath of Hurricanes and Major Floods. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Available online at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5508a1.htm; Pope, A. M., Patterson, R., & Burge, H. (Eds.). (1993). Indoor
allergens: assessing and controlling adverse health effects. Washington, D.C.: Institute of Medicine, National Academy Press. Available online at http://
books.nap.edu/catalog/2056.html; Institute of Medicine [IOM]. (2004). Human health effects associated with damp indoor environments. In Damp
Indoor Spaces and Health (pp. 183-269). Washington, DC: Institute of Medicine, National Academy Press.
ii. World Health Organization [WHO]. (2009). WHO Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality: Dampness and Mould. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health
Organization. Available online at: http://bit.ly/1EktkmV; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health [NIOSH]. (2012). Preventing
Occupational Respiratory Disease from Exposures Caused by Dampness in Office Buildings, Schools, and Other Nonindustrial Buildings (DHHS
(NIOSH) Publication Number 2013-102). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Available online at: http://
www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2013-102/pdfs/2013-102.pdf.
iii. Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA]. (2003). "A Brief Guide to Mold in the Workplace." Safety and Health Information
Bulletin (SHIB 03-10-10). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Labor. Available online at http://www.osha.gov/dts/shib/shib101003.html.
MOLD: WORKER AND EMPLOYER GUIDE TO HAZARDS AND RECOMMENDED CONTROLS, JUNE 2015
Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force - Indoor Environmental Pollutants Work Group
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