Should A Mold Remediator Perform Mold Assessments?

Well, the Standard and the Law see these practices as unethical; in fact, the Law established that conflict of interest doesn’t have to be proven, in and of itself, only its potential need be established. Here are two examples of conflict of interest commonly practiced in Florida: 

1. The mold remediator who performs an assessment prior to remediation may sway or misrepresent his or her findings in favor of extensive, costly mold remediation because they have something to gain by saying such a problem exists.
2. The mold remediator who performs a post-mold remediation verification assessment (PRVA) may falsely report findings to show remediation was successful just to get paid. 

Allow me to show you a chart, found in the IICRC R520 (Chapter 8: Inspection and Preliminary Determination, pg. 99), that describes who does a mold assessment and who does the mold remediation: (Note: the term "Remediator" refers to a person or company who performs mold remediation while the term "IEP" stands for an independent (of the mold remediator) Indoor Environmental Professional.)

You'll notice that the only professional who should perform "Pre-remediation assessment", "laboratory data interpretation and report", and "Post-remediation verification" is the independent IEP.

What the R520 states just prior to this chart is this: “It is important that individuals who perform the tasks listed below have sufficient training and experience for those specific tasks, and that conflicts of interest between parties performing remediation processes and assessment activities be avoided.” With this in mind, I plan on writing a follow-up blog describing what to look for in a mold assessor. In the meantime, if you have questions or concerns about mold in your home or office, contact Gulf Coast Center for Indoor Air Quality Services to learn how we can best serve you.