What Personal Protective Equipment is Needed for Mold Removal?

5/11/2020 (Permalink)

Personal protective equipment keeps a mold remediation team safe

Types of Mold Cleanup PPE

When cleaning mold growth, the first priority is to protect everyone. Personal protective equipment keeps a mold remediation team safe while helping to prevent cross-contamination. The main types of mold cleanup PPE are:

1. Hair Cover
If mold spores settle in your hair, they can easily be transferred throughout the building or inhaled. When taking a break, the hair cover in use should be disposed of and a new one put on before work resumes.
2. Face Mask
An air-purifying respirator needs to be worn during mold cleanup. An N-95 mask will filter out 95% of all particles and is usually fine for this work. You can get disposable or reusable. Either way, it needs to be removed before leaving the affected area and replaced when returning to work.
3. Safety Goggles
Thorough mold cleanup usually means a lot of debris in the air (e.g., mold spores, dirt, dust and drywall). Safety goggles protect the eyes from debris and harsh chemicals.
4. Gloves
It’s important to wear form-fitting disposable gloves; mold spores can get inside ill-fitting gloves. The gloves should be removed between work sessions before leaving the affected area, and replaced with new ones upon return.
5. Protective Coverall
Tyvek suits are preferable for mold remediation since they’re disposable. This type of suit can be worn over regular clothes and disposed of once work is completed. Unprotected street clothing should be changed just after leaving the affected area and washed in hot water.
6. Shoe Covers
Just like the disposable gloves and hair covers, disposable shoe covers should be removed and disposed of when taking a break from work. Then, a new pair should be worn when returning to work.
It’s important to protect people and uncontaminated areas from exposure to mold. If your building in Laurel, MT, suffers mold damage, mold remediation professionals will restore it to its preloss condition as soon as possible.