Dampness and Mold Assessment Tool for Building Managers in California

Several years ago, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) released Dampness and Mold Assessment Tool for General Buildings. The document is available from the NIOSH website and is meant to provide a mechanism to investigate, record, and compare indoor conditions over time, as well as prioritizing remediation of problem areas.

The publication discusses how the health of those who live, attend school, or work in damp buildings has been a growing concern in recent years due to a broad range of reported building-related symptoms and illnesses. According to the agency, research has found that people who spend time in damp buildings are more likely to report health issues such as:

• Respiratory symptoms
• Development or worsening of asthma
• Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP)
• Respiratory infections
• Allergic rhinitis
• Bronchitis
• Eczema

“Building occupant exposures in damp buildings can be a complex issue, vary from building to building, and can occur in different places for different reasons within the same building,” said Joseph Frasca, Senior Vice President of Marketing at LA Testing. “The NIOSH tool provides direction and guidance for conducting a building assessment that many building managers in California don’t know is available. It also reinforces the importance of identifying and fixing the source of any indoor moisture to help create a healthy indoor environment"

In California, LA Testing is the leading provider of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) laboratory testing services for mold, bacteria, radon, volatile organic compounds, and other exposure risks. They also provide sampling supplies, easy-to-use test kits, air monitoring instruments, and an array of inspection tools to pinpoint moisture problems in all types of buildings. LA Testing has even sponsored an educational video discussing NIOSH’s assessment tool that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/JW-umfcGO-A.

To learn more about mold, moisture, and IEQ testing services, or for access to sampling supplies, air monitoring instruments, and building inspection tools, please visit www.LATesting.com, email  info@LATesting.com , or call (800) 755-1794. To request IEQ test kits, visit www.EMSLTestKits.com.


About LA Testing
LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for indoor air quality testing of asbestos, mold, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash, and smoke damage, particulates, and other chemicals. In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including AIHA-LAP, LLC (AIHA-LAP, LLC EMLAP, AIHA-LAP, LLC IHLAP, AIHA-LAP, LLC ELLAP), CDC ELITE, NVLAP, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health, and other states. LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Huntington Beach, San Leandro, San Diego, and Ontario.

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

LA Testing

(1) 856-303-2503

Contact via E-mail