It’s Black—It Must Be Mold

Air quality is something that is just recently getting more media time.  But why has it become so popular in today’s media outlets?  Maybe it’s the push for us to become more “green” or maybe it’s that enough people are concerned about the effects of their environment on their health.  Whatever the reason air quality is getting a new spotlight, and it’s shining it right in the face!

Indoor air quality is an important component to keep employees healthy and productive.  Contaminated and polluted air quality can present in many different ways such as fatigue, headaches, difficulty focusing, and soreness of the nose, lungs, throat, and eyes.  These symptoms can be early warning signs for problems that lead to longer lasting health issues.  People know how to be aware of that infamous “musty smell.”  Maybe at one point your office building had a bad smell and it turned out to be mold!  That musty smell is unmistakable and when left unchecked it can grow some really unhealthy bacteria. 

When a commercial building or even a working facility finds “black stuff” growing where it shouldn’t the alarm is sounded and the person in charge of the building is called to action.  Sometimes the suspicious black stuff is merely dirt, and sometimes is smudge from a janitor but occasionally it is something more serious.  However, from time to time that black stuff is actually mold!

When the black stuff is discovered and the Maintenance Manager called to remedy the issue, the next person on the scene is typically an Industrial Hygienist.  The hygienist will take several samples throughout the building to try and determine what the stuff is exactly.  Typically he will take several air samples in the compromised area and areas that are thought to be uninfected.  If there is visible suspicious growth then a surface sample will be taken as well.  All these samples are sent to a lab to be analyzed.  Sometimes hygienists have their own labs and sometimes they use lab companies.  Either way, the samples are overnighted and the results typically take 3-5 business days to get back. 

Mold can be harmful.  Some people are highly sensitive to being around mold and the symptoms vary from allergy like symptoms to severe headaches, and more severe allergy like symptoms.  Because symptoms do present like allergies and because mold grows in warm wet conditions this often means that mold starts growing as the weather gets warmer.  Some employers question their employees complaints as they think it is just Spring time allergy’s…after all they aren’t having any symptoms.

If you are having symptoms like this or if you think you’ve found the “black stuff” where you work, then click hereto find an Industrial Hygienist to test the air quality in your office.