CHAPTER 6
CONTAINMENT AND PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)
Lesson 1Overview of Containment
The goal of containment is to limit the spread of mold throughout the building in order to minimize the exposure of remediators and building occupants to mold.
The larger the contaminated area, and the greater the possibility that someone will be exposed to mold, the greater the need for containment. Although, in general, the size of the contaminated area indicates the level of containment required, the final choice of containment level should be based on professional judgment. Heavy mold growth in a small area, for example, could release more mold spores than lighter growth in a relatively large area. In this case, the smaller contaminated area may warrant a higher level of containment.
Two types of containment are described in EPA's mold remediation guidance: limited and full. Limited containment is generally used for areas involving between 10 and 100 square feet of mold contamination. Full containment is used when areas larger than 100 square feet are to be remediated or in cases where it is likely that mold could be spread throughout the building during remediation. (See Table 2. )
Maintaining the containment area under negative pressure will keep contaminated air from flowing into adjacent, uncontaminated areas and possibly spreading mold. A fan exhausted to the outside of the building can be used to maintain negative air pressure. If the containment is working, the polyethylene sheeting of the containment area should billow inward on all surfaces. If it flutters or billows outward, containment has been lost, and the problem should be found and corrected before remediation continues.
Depending on the situation, professional remediators may choose to use a variety of containment methods not described in detail here. For example, a remediator repairing a large building with extensive mold damage in the walls may choose to remove the outside layer of the wall and work inward, relying on appropriate containment to ensure mold is not spread throughout the building. Or, to limit the amount of mold that gets into the air, a remediator may apply sticky-backed paper or covering to a moldy wall component before removing it.
