Applied Microbial Remediation Technician cheat sheet

Moisture source control precedes any removal: porous materials that stay above roughly 60% equilibrium moisture content or 16% wood moisture content support mold growth, so drying or repair must be documented before remediation is called complete.

Category 3 water (grossly contaminated) and mold contamination in HVAC systems are both triggers for containment; an HVAC system serving a mold-affected area must be isolated or the system itself remediated.

Containment decision rule: use critical barriers for small isolated areas, full containment with negative pressure (typically -5 to -10 Pa relative to adjacent spaces) and HEPA filtration for areas large enough that airborne spore release could reach occupied spaces.

Removal rule: porous materials with more than a small, surface-level area of mold growth are removed and discarded rather than cleaned; non-porous and semi-porous surfaces can be cleaned when structurally sound.

HEPA vacuuming is the only acceptable vacuum method during mold work; standard shop vacuums exhaust respirable particles and are not permitted in containment.

Biocide use follows cleaning, not replacement for it: dead spores remain allergenic and must be removed physically; a biocide is applied only after the surface is clean and only when the label permits the substrate.

Post-remediation verification is not the remediator's self-approval: clearance requires an independent assessment of settled spores, airborne spores, and visible condition in the work area.

Personal protective equipment for mold work: at minimum N-95 or better respiratory protection, eye protection, and gloves; full-face or powered air-purifying respirators are used when concentrations or work methods generate heavy aerosol.

Water categories: Category 1 is sanitary, Category 2 is significantly contaminated (contains some harmful agents), Category 3 is grossly contaminated and includes sewage; Category 3 contamination degrades lower categories on contact.

Sewage is Category 3 water; porous materials contacted by it (carpet, pad, upholstered furniture, drywall, insulation) are removed and discarded rather than dried in place.

Category 3 water intrusion requires antimicrobial treatment of affected structural surfaces after removal of porous materials, and drying must be documented before reconstruction.

Black water (sewage) carries pathogens including bacteria, viruses, and parasites; the remediation plan must include disinfection of all contacted surfaces and protection of unaffected areas from cross-contamination.

Structural drying targets: wood framing is dried toward 16% moisture content or below, and materials are compared against a dry standard taken from an unaffected area of the same material.

Containment and engineering controls for sewage work: isolation of the affected area, negative air pressure where feasible, HEPA filtration, and exclusion of occupants until clearance.

Waste handling: sewage-contaminated debris is bagged or wrapped, transported in a covered container, and disposed of according to local regulations; workers do not eat, drink, or smoke in the work area.

Clearance for sewage work: visible cleanliness, no residual odor, and documented disinfection; an independent post-remediation evaluation is used to confirm the area is safe for reoccupancy.