AUSTIN, Texas - The Associated Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors of Texas (APHCC-TX) has published mold guidelines for its member contractors.

Some of its suggestions include:

Prevention

  • Train your employees on awareness of mold-related problems.

  • Draw up a checklist for your technicians to go through regularly.

  • Make sure fittings and connections are tight before leaving the jobsite.

  • Test the system for leaks before leaving the jobsite.

  • Follow up with your customer about any leaks.

  • Properly follow all manufacturer installation instructions.

    What To Do If Mold Or Potential Mold Is Detected

  • Fix leaks or malfunctions as you would routinely do.

  • Test for leaks that might be behind walls or under floors.

  • If you detect another source of the problem, such as a roof leak, inform your customer.

  • If mold or potential mold is detected, have your technician call his supervisor before starting any repair.

  • Do not pry back walls if mold or potential mold is detected - this increases the chances of fresh spores spreading.

  • Try to disturb the area as little as possible.

  • Check around the edges of walls and ceilings, on pipes and vents, and try to spot additional areas of contamination.

  • Identify if there are any additional sources of water that may be coming from plumbing or heating or cooling systems.

  • Check adjacent rooms.

  • If you do stay and do the repairs, put all debris from the work you did on the equipment into a plastic cover and seal it with tape, leaving it near the site.

  • Cover the contaminated area, if possible, with plastic sheeting and seal the edges with tape.

  • If area is contaminated, seal off entrances with a warning sign.

  • Properly follow all manufacturer installation procedures.

  • Take photographs of the work you did and area you sealed off.

  • Take photographs, even if you don't do the work.

  • Find the mold experts in your area and call on them when necessary.

    For more information on APHCC-TX, visit www.phcc-tx.org.

    Publication date: 01/26/2004