IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

Despite the fact that most major insurance companies have dropped  mold coverage from their homeowner policies, the issue of mold still remains a top concern of U.S. state legislators.  According to published sources, nearly 60 pieces of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) related legislation has been, or is being, considered by 27 state legislatures.  A major issue that many pieces of legislation seek to address is the current lack of licensing for people and companies performing mold assessment and remediation.  

In Texas, House Bill 329 gives the Texas Department of Health (TDH) the responsibility to license mold assessors and remediators in addition to establishing and enforcing minimum performance standards and work practices for conducting mold assessment and remediation.  This bill was signed into law in June and went into effect on September 1st, 2003.

However, passing the law was the easy part.  The TDH is still working on finalizing the licensing requirements and has recently issued their third draft of the regulations (Click here to get the latest TDH update).  In the meantime, CAM Environmental--already a TDH-licensed training provider--has been preparing the training courses that will be necessary to obtain the required licenses.  Pending final adoption of the TDH rule, CAM Environmental will be ready to conduct the following required mold courses:

• Mold Assessment Technician (24 Hour)

• Mold Assessment Consultant (40 Hour)

• Mold Remediation Worker (16 Hour) -- (Also available in Spanish)

• Mold Remediation Supervisor (32 Hour)

• Mold Remediation Contractor (40 Hour)

For more information, please contact us at info@cam-enviro.com for the latest details and availability of these courses.

For Additional Training Information, check out CAM's new, re-designed website at WWW.CAM-ENVIRO.COM.  Select the "Training" hyperlink on the main page to get the latest list of scheduled and available classes including TDH-required Asbestos training.

CAM Environmental Services is a Training Provider licensed by the Texas Department of Health.  For a complete list of our training capabilities, please see our website.

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"I never thought that much about it.  Papa would come home from the plant covered in fine dust from head to foot.  We kids would hug him around the legs releasing little clouds of dust and try to get him to chase us around the house.  Mama would take his clothes and shake out as much of the dust as she could before she washed them.  Little did we know back then that the dust was actually asbestos fibers and that we were all being exposed..."

In the 1990's, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted a study on "take home toxins" and found documented cases in 28 countries as well as in 36 US states.  The study covered a wide variety of materials, industries, and occupations.  What was found was that workers can expose family members to a variety of hazardous substances from several different ways including:

• Work Clothes and Boots.  NIOSH found numerous cases where various types of hazardous and toxic chemicals were carried home on work clothes and shoes.  As a result, washers and dryers can also become contaminated possibly exposing the person doing the laundry as well as the other pieces of clothing washed with the work clothes.  In addition, chemicals stuck to the bottom of your work boots can also contaminate your car or truck.

• Tools and Equipment.  Toxins can be carried home on hand tools, tool boxes, and other equipment such as electrical cords and ropes.  

• Items Brought Home.  Everyone occasionally brings home rags, pieces of scrap lumber, metal drums, or other pieces of scrap or discarded containers or materials that may be contaminated with toxic chemicals or hazardous materials.

• Worker's Body.  A worker's hands, especially the hair and areas under the fingernails, can expose family members to hazardous materials.

Prevention is the best defense against bringing home more than just a paycheck.  Things you can do to protect your family members include:

• Use good safety practices to reduce exposure in the first place

• Leave soiled clothes at work

• Change clothes and shoes before leaving work

• Store non-work clothes away from work clothes

• Shower before leaving work taking care to clean hair and fingernails

• Do not take tools, scrap, packaging, and similar items home

• Educate family members about the dangers of toxins and hazards

• Launder work clothes separately from family clothes

• Prevent family members from visiting the work area

For more information, click here to visit NIOSH's "Take Home Toxins"  webpage.

CAM Environmental performs a variety of Industrial Hygiene Monitoring services including personnel and area monitoring for toxins and hazardous chemicals and substances.  For more information, contact us at info@cam-enviro.com.

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Since 1986, CAM Environmental offers a variety of field sampling, testing, and consulting services including: