SECTION 78.68. Training: Mold Training Courses

(a) General provisions. Individual applicants for licensing or renewal must submit evidence acceptable to the department of fulfillment of specific training requirements.

(b) Assessment technician training. The assessment technician training course shall consist of at least 24 training hours that includes lectures, demonstrations, audio-visuals and hands-on training, course review, and a written test of 50 multiple-choice questions. The course requirements in paragraphs (3), (5) - (8), and (10), require hands-on training as an integral part of the course. The assessment technician course shall include:

(1) sources of, conditions necessary for, and prevention of indoor mold growth;

(2) potential health effects, in accordance with a training protocol developed in consultation with state professional associations, including at least one representing physicians;

(3) workplace hazards and safety, including personal protective equipment, and respirators;

(4) technical and legal considerations for mold assessment, including applicable regulatory requirements, the role of the mold assessment technician, and the roles of other professionals (including an assessment consultant);

(5) performance of visual inspections where mold might be present and determining sources of moisture problems, including exterior spaces (including crawlspaces and attics), interior components (including windows, plumbing, walls, and ceilings) and heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems (including return air and supply ducts);

(6) utilization of physical measurement equipment and tools, including moisture meters, humidity meters, particle counters, data-logging equipment, and visual and robotic inspection equipment;

(7) biological sampling strategies and methodologies, including sampling locations and techniques, and minimizing cross-contamination;

(8) sampling methodologies, including bulk, surface (including tape, swab, and vacuum sampling), and air sampling (including the differences between culturable and particulate sampling, sampling times, calibrating pumps, selecting media for culturable samples, and sampling for fungal volatile organic compounds);

(9) state-of-the-art work practices and new technologies;

(10) proper documentation for reports, including field notes, measurement data, photographs, structural diagrams, and chain-of-custody forms;

(11) an overview of mold remediation projects and requirements, including containment and air filtration; and

(12) clearance testing and procedures, including review of mold remediation protocols, work plans, visual inspections, and sampling strategies.

(c) Assessment consultant training. The assessment consultant training course shall consist of at least 40 training hours that includes lectures, demonstrations, audio-visuals and hands-on training, course review, and a written test of 100 multiple-choice questions. The assessment consultant training course shall include:

(1) all topics listed under subsection (b), including appropriate hands-on activities;

(2) requirements concerning workplace safety, including components of and development of respiratory protection plans and programs, workplace safety plans, and medical surveillance programs;

(3) technical and legal considerations for mold assessment, including applicable regulatory requirements, the role of the assessment consultant, the roles of other professionals, recordkeeping and notification requirements, insurance, and legal liabilities;

(4) an overview of building construction, building sciences, moisture control, and water intrusion events;

(5) prevention of indoor air quality problems, including avoiding design and construction defects and improving maintenance and housekeeping;

(6) basics of HVAC systems and their relationship to indoor air quality (including pyschrometrics, filtration, ventilation and humidity control), HVAC inspection and assessment, and remediation of HVAC systems;

(7) survey protocols for effective assessment, covering the areas described under subsection (b)(5) - (8);

(8) interpretation of data and sampling results;

(9) interviewing building occupants, minimum requirements for questionnaires, and interpreting results;

(10) writing mold management plans and mold remediation protocols, including format and contents (including structural components, HVAC systems, and building contents), defining affected areas (including floor plans), identifying and repairing moisture sources and their causes, developing a scope of work analysis, specifying containment and air filtration strategies, determining post-remediation assessment criteria, and clearance criteria;

(11) post-remediation clearance testing and procedures, including review of mold remediation plans, visual inspections, sampling strategies, and quality assurance; and

(12) case studies.

(d) Remediation worker training. Remediation worker training shall consist of at least four training hours that includes lectures, demonstrations, audio-visuals, and hands-on training. The training shall include all course information and material required under this subsection. An individual must successfully complete worker training and become registered as a mold remediation worker before performing mold remediation activities.

(1) The training must be provided by either:

(A) a licensed mold remediation contractor or licensed mold remediation company; or

(B) a mold training provider accredited by the department.

(2) The principal instructor for the training must be:

(A) a licensed mold remediation contractor; or

(B) an individual who is approved under §78.66 to teach mold-related courses.

(3) The training shall adequately address the following areas and shall include hands-on training in the areas described in subparagraphs (C) and (E) - (F):

(A) sources of indoor mold and conditions necessary for indoor mold growth;

(B) potential health effects and symptoms from mold exposure, in accordance with a training protocol developed in consultation with state professional associations, including at least one representing physicians;

(C) workplace hazards and safety, personal protective equipment including respirators, personal hygiene, personal decontamination, confined spaces, and water, structural, and electrical hazards;

(D) technical and legal considerations for mold remediation, including applicable regulatory requirements, the role of the worker, and the roles of other professionals;

(E) an overview of how mold remediation projects are conducted, including containment and air filtration; and

(F) work practices for removing, cleaning, and treating mold.

(e) Remediation contractor training. The remediation contractor training course shall consist of at least 40 training hours that includes lectures, demonstrations, audio-visuals and hands-on training, course review, and a written test of 100 multiple-choice questions. The course requirements in paragraphs (3) and (7) - (8), require hands-on training as an integral part of the training. The course shall adequately address:

(1) sources of indoor mold and conditions necessary for indoor mold growth;

(2) potential health effects, in accordance with a training protocol developed in consultation with state professional associations, including at least one representing physicians;

(3) requirements concerning workplace hazards and safety, personal protective equipment including respirators, personal hygiene, personal decontamination, confined spaces, and water, structural, and electrical hazards;

(4) requirements concerning worker protection, including components of and development of respiratory protection plans and programs, workplace safety plans, and medical surveillance programs;

(5) technical and legal considerations for mold remediation, including applicable regulatory requirements, the role of the mold remediation contractor, the role of the mold remediation worker, the roles of other professionals, insurance, legal liabilities, and recordkeeping and notification requirements;

(6) building sciences, moisture control, and water intrusion events;

(7) an overview of how mold remediation projects are conducted and requirements thereof, including containment, and air filtration;

(8) work practices for removing, cleaning, and treating mold, including state-of-the-art work practices and new technologies;

(9) development of a mold remediation work plan from a protocol, including writing the work plan, detailing remediation techniques for the building structure, HVAC system, and contents, delineating affected areas from floor plans, developing appropriate containment designs, determining HEPA air filtration requirements, and determining dehumidification requirements;

(10) clearance testing and procedures, including a review of typical clearance criteria, visual inspection of the work area before clearance, and achieving clearance;

(11) contract specifications, including estimating job costs from a protocol and determining insurance and liability issues; and

(12) protecting the public and building occupants from mold exposures.

(f) Continuing education training courses.

(1) The continuing education courses for mold assessment technicians, mold assessment consultants, and mold remediation contractors shall be at least eight training hours in length.

(2) Continuing education training for mold remediation workers shall be at least four training hours in length and shall be provided by a person specified under subsection (d)(1).

(3) Continuing education training shall include a review of state regulations, state-of-the-art developments, and key aspects of the initial training course.

(g) Course tests.

(1) Each training provider shall administer a closed-book written test to students who have completed any training course required under this chapter, except that no examination is required of students in remediation worker training.

(2) The test for the initial training course for assessment technician shall consist of 50 multiple-choice questions.

(3) The test for the initial training course for assessment consultant and remediation contractor shall consist of 100 multiple-choice questions.

(4) Training providers may include demonstration testing as part of the test for the initial training course.

(5) The continuing education tests shall consist of at least ten questions.

(6) Students passing the test shall receive a course completion certificate.

(7) Training providers shall use course tests provided or approved by the department or the department's designee.

Source Note: The provisions of this §78.68 adopted to be effective November 1, 2017, 42 TexReg 4619