In today’s schools, careful attention must be given to monitoring the moisture level throughout the building to prevent the formation of mold. These tiny spores thrive in damp indoor areas and have the potential to grow exponentially if not removed immediately. A mold outbreak can not only leave school officials with mold damaged records and damaged books, but it can pose a health risk to children, causing symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, diarrhea, headaches, and irritation to the eyes, skin or lungs.
In order to keep students healthy and prevent the loss of sensitive information due to damaged documents, the following is a look at what steps schools should take in order to prevent – or address – a mold outbreak.
Prevention of Mold
All school staff should be mindful of the potential for mold growth within school property. Here is a list of tips to follow in order to prevent the widespread development of mold:
- Provide adequate ventilation throughout the entire school.
- Fix the source of any water leak or related problem at the moment of discovery.
- Use exhaust fans whenever cooking, dishwashing or cleaning in food service areas.
- Be on the lookout for water stains or discoloration on the ceilings, walls, floors and window sills.
- Spills on carpets and floors need to be cleaned and dried immediately.
- Do not let water from outside sprinklers to strike exterior school walls.
- Establish a regular schedule for inspecting roofs, ceilings, walls, floors and carpeting for water leakage and mold growth or moldy odor.
Mold Damaged Documents: Is There Any Way to Save Them?
Within 48 hours of contact with water, if an item was not thoroughly dried, mold spores will begin to form in large numbers. In such cases, it may appear that damaged books and documents have been destroyed beyond recovery. However, with the latest technology, a document restoration firm can often salvage these damaged documents and books despite rampant mold growth.
It’s a good idea for schools to establish a relationship with a restoration company now in order to prepare for the possibility of a mold outbreak. Not only will the staff be more prepared for such a scenario, but with a recovery plan already in place, the cleanup process will go more quickly and smoothly.
[Photo by: Fiery Fred, via CC License ]
