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Mold Protection

Responding to Mold

Mold must be dealt with promptly and in an appropriate manner. Under no circumstances should staff members work with moldy collections unprotected, and staff members with a known sensitivity should not work with moldy materials at all.

Health Hazards

Even small amounts of mold can be a serious health hazard to your staff and patrons. There are no federal or state regulations that govern exposure to mold, as there are for exposure to asbestos and other hazardous substances. The effects of mold will differ depending on the type of mold, the level of exposure, and the susceptibility of the person(s) exposed.

Personal Protective Equipment

A standard dust mask does NOT provide sufficient protection for working with mold; a respirator or a specialized dust mask with a filter must be worn. They, like the half-mask respirator with particulate filters, must be fit tested to provide proper protection. Dust masks should be discarded after single use.

A dust mask does NOT provide sufficient protection for working with mold; a respirator must be worn. If you do not have someone on staff that has been or can be fit-tested with a proper respirator, you should not clean mold in-house. Protective clothing, gloves, and eyewear are also recommended.

Many conservators and vendors choose to use a non-powered air-purifying respirator with the highest class of filter (e.g., a P100 respirator, which has an efficiency of 99.97%) when dealing with mold. Be aware that the use of respirators in the workplace is governed by the Respiratory Protection Standard 29 CFR 1910.134, adopted by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 1998. This standard specifies types of respirators to be used in various situations, fit testing procedures (e.g., tests to ensure that the respirator fits the wearer properly), and training procedures. See OSHA's Web site for more information (search for Respiratory Protection Standard).

Response Procedures

You may be able to respond in-house to a very minor mold outbreak in your collection, but if you are faced with a serious mold problem that affects a significant portion of the collection and/or the building, you will almost certainly require the assistance of an outside vendor (preferably one that has worked with cultural institutions before).

Take a few moments to reflect on the scenario below. What would you do in this situation? Click on Show Answer to review the options.

  See Mold Response Instructions (PDF, 244k).