(a) Scope. These general work practices are minimum requirements and do not constitute complete or sufficient specifications for mold assessment. More detailed requirements developed by an assessment consultant for a mold assessment or for a particular mold remediation project shall take precedence over the provisions of this section.
(b) Purpose. The purpose of a mold assessment is to determine the source(s), location(s), and extent of mold growth in a building, to determine the condition(s) that caused the mold growth, and to enable the assessment consultant to prepare a mold remediation protocol.
(c) Personal protective equipment for assessors. If an assessment consultant or company determines that personal protective equipment (PPE) should be used during a mold assessment project, the assessment consultant or company shall ensure that all individuals who engage in assessment activities and who will be, or are anticipated to be, exposed to mold are provided with, fit tested for, and trained on the appropriate use and care of the specified PPE. The assessment consultant or company must document successful completion of the training before the individuals perform regulated activities.
(d) Sampling and data collection. If samples for laboratory analysis are collected during the assessment:
  (1) sampling must be performed according to nationally accepted methods;
  (2) preservation methods shall be implemented for all samples where necessary;
  (3) proper sample documentation, including the sampling method, the sample identification code, each location and material sampled, the date collected, the name of the person who collected the samples, and the project name or number must be recorded for each sample;
  (4) proper chain of custody procedures must be used; and
  (5) samples must be analyzed by a laboratory licensed under §78.62.
(e) Mold remediation protocol. An assessment consultant shall prepare a mold remediation protocol that is specific to each remediation project and provide the protocol to the client at least one calendar day before remediation activities begin. The mold remediation protocol must specify:
  (1) the rooms or areas where the work will be performed;
  (2) the estimated quantities of materials to be cleaned or removed;
  (3) the methods to be used for each type of remediation in each type of area;
  (4) the PPE to be used by remediators. A minimum of an N-95 respirator is recommended during mold-related activities when mold growth could or would be disturbed. Using professional judgment, a consultant may specify additional or more protective PPE if he or she determines that it is warranted;
  (5) the proposed types of containment, as that term is defined in §78.10(9) and as described in subsection (g), to be used during the project in each type of area; and
  (6) the proposed clearance procedures and criteria, as described in subsection (i), for each type of remediation in each type of area.
(f) Building occupants. A mold assessment consultant shall consider whether to recommend to a client that, before remediation begins, the client should inform building occupants of mold-related activities that will disturb or will have the potential to disturb areas of mold contamination.
(g) Containment requirements. Containment must be specified in a mold remediation protocol when the mold contamination affects a total surface area of 25 contiguous square feet or more for the project.
  (1) Containment is not required if only persons who are licensed or registered under this chapter occupy the building in which the remediation takes place at any time between the start-date and stop-date for the project as specified on the notification required under §78.110.
  (2) The containment specified in the remediation protocol must prevent the spread of mold to areas of the building outside the containment under normal conditions of use.
  (3) If walk-in containment is used, supply and return air vents must be blocked, and air pressure within the walk-in containment must be lower than the pressure in building areas adjacent to the containment.
    (A) Operation of equipment to recirculate air inside of containment without maintaining negative air pressure may be conducted when the specific conditions, phases, and time periods during which it may or must occur are specified in the mold remediation protocol before commencing this use of equipment.
    (B) Operation of equipment to recirculate air inside of containment without maintaining negative air pressure is prohibited during periods of active mold remediation activity.
(h) Disinfectants, biocides and antimicrobial coatings. An assessment consultant who indicates in a remediation protocol that a disinfectant, biocide, or antimicrobial coating will be used on a mold remediation project shall indicate a specific product or brand only if it is registered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the intended use and if the use is consistent with the manufacturer's labeling instructions. A decision by an assessment consultant to use such products must take into account the potential for occupant sensitivities and possible adverse reactions to chemicals that have the potential to be off-gassed from surfaces coated with such products.
(i) Clearance procedures and criteria. In the remediation protocol for the project, the assessment consultant shall specify:
  (1) at least one nationally recognized analytical method for use within each remediated area in order to determine whether the mold contamination identified for the project has been remediated as outlined in the remediation protocol;
  (2) the criteria to be used for evaluating analytical results to determine whether the remediation project passes clearance;
  (3) that post-remediation assessment shall be conducted while walk-in containment is in place, if walk-in containment is specified for the project; and
  (4) the procedures to be used in determining whether the underlying cause of the mold identified for the project has been remediated so that it is reasonably certain that the mold will not return from that same cause.

Source Note: The provisions of this §78.100 adopted to be effective November 1, 2017, 42 TexReg 4619