Safety Equipment for Mold Remediation

4/29/2021 (Permalink)

Protective Equipment to Remove Mold Damage

You’ve got the black stuff growing in your bathroom and need it gone. Now, people are coming toward you in white, plastic coveralls and wearing face masks. They look like something out of a horror movie. It’s OK, though. They’re getting themselves ready for the mold.

You know the mold remediation specialist and his team are stepping into a potentially dangerous situation that might risk their health. They need to suit up and get protected. What type of protective equipment does a technician need to wear to get rid of the black, nasty stuff?

1. Full-body Suits

For large remediation projects, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends complete coverage of the body. Disposable coveralls protect any exposed skin from coming into contact from mold and mold spores. Full-body suits made from breathable material such as TYVEK ®also prevent the spores from transferring to clothes.

2. Face Masks or Air-purifying Respirators

The type of face mask or respirator worn will depend on the size of the remediation. Technicians will wear an N-95 respirator during a medium mold damage cleanup. These facemasks cover the nose and mouth. A P100 respirator is also known as a powered air-purifying respirator. It covers the full face. Only respirators approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health are to be worn throughout the remediation process.

3. Gloves

Like face masks and full-body suits, gloves protect the skin from coming into contact with mold. A technician uses long gloves which extend to the middle of the forearm for the best protection. Gloves come into different materials such as natural rubber, neoprene, nitrile, polyurethane and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

All these things are protective equipment a mold remediation technician uses to safely remove mold damage from your home. To keep you and your family healthy from the effects of mold a specialist needs to keep themselves healthy as well.