What is Medically Sound Remediation?

Mold and water damage remediation are common services needed in every community. However, due to the broad spectrum of human variations, sensitivities to indoor air contaminants can sometimes be more severe. In the case of mold exposure, many people have sensitivities or even allergies to mold. Often, in water-damaged building incidents, mold exposure can slowly infiltrate the work or living environment, causing more severe health concerns for one or more occupants of the contaminated indoor environment.

Medical professionals and Indoor Environmental Professionals (IEPs) have come to an agreement that specific ailments exist for those exposed to water-damaged buildings, called Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome due to Water-Damaged Buildings (CIRS-WDB). Due to the nature of mold, other contaminants in water-damaged building scenarios, and the human sensitivities confirmed by medical professionals and IEPs, new protocols for remediation were required.

Medically Sound Remediation is a more profound protocol for mold and water damage remediation requiring active involvement of an IEP often including involvement of medical professionals; new protocols for remediation technicians, including training, and certification; and robust third party testing protocols.  

Understanding CIRS Symptoms and Coping with Relationships

In the case of CIRS-WDB we must be understanding to those experiencing this disease. The building is not the only battle they are fighting, their immune system is attacking them! The problem with CIRS is that the body’s immune system is throwing an ultimate defense attack. The ironic part with CIRS and CIRS-WDB is we are in more danger from our own system than the contaminate invaders of our system. 

We may not all be having symptoms as another family member in the household, but the toxins are not healthy for anyone. To the person experiencing CIRS-WDB they often feel “crazy” because so many symptoms and issues resulted from exposure to the space most call a “safe space”, and their home is the ultimate nemesis in this horror story.

It may be important to empathize with the person who has CIRS-WDB because they have likely been through a lot to uncover the truth of their illness. They may have been told they do not have a problem or have continued to get recurring sickness from their homes.

CIRS-WDB is so unique because there are often many toxins that are part of causing it, and each human has a different immune system tolerance to toxic intruders of our immune system. WDBs can have various toxic air contaminants such as mycotoxins, endotoxins, mycobacteria, microbial VOCs, and ultrafine particulate matter (UFPs).

Guilt Factor Associated with Mold 

If you are reading this and have felt guilty about mold growth or water damages in your home, don’t feel guilty! Take action! The guilt is part of procrastination, but your failure to act was not necessarily your fault, mold and water damage is often sneaky. You can take control of this problem now, and this is the best solution for your health, and the health of your family.

Feel confident that most who call Orange Restoration need our expert level medically sound remediation to fully eradicate their home from the contamination threat to their health. Often those with CIRS-WDB are very much battling a serious health battle, cleaning, and fixing this contamination is not something they are capable of doing. 

The purpose of an IEP is to advocate for the client to ensure protocols are followed, allowing the client to remove themselves from the contaminated space to properly recover. If you have CIRS or CIRS-WDB diagnosis or suspect you may have similar conditions due to mold or water damage exposure, getting yourself away from the toxic environment is essential for healing, and working with an IEP is highly recommended.

Orange Restoration taking action in the role of Medically Sound Mold Remediation work to help a family restore their home to livable conditions.

What do Indoor Environmental Professionals (IEP) say about our work?

IEPs have extensive experience in mold investigations and remediation work as most of their clients need completely mold free environments. IEPs working on a case of their client as if they are advocating for them to make sure the remediation technicians do the work properly.

IEPs create the plan for remediation, and the remediation technicians are required to follow the protocols set by the IEP. After completion of the remediation process there is more testing to make absolutely sure the remediation was effective, this is called post-remediation verification (PRV) test. 

While our team intends to do the most professional work, we are there till the work is complete. IEPs of San Diego County know that when working with Orange Restoration, our team intends to do remediation efforts with extended attention to detail in hopes to pass the PRV test on the first attempt. One local San Diego IEP claims that Orange Restoration is the best for Medically Sound Remediation because we complete the remediation and often pass the PRV test the first time.

Indoor Environmental Assessment for Medically Sound Remediation Cases

If you have gotten involved with an Indoor Environmental Professional to assess your home already, they will provide you with a very detailed report with specific protocol for remediation. As a IICRC AMRT certified professional remediation and restoration company, that specializes in medically sound remediation, we are prepared to help!

After you get your assessment and test results, you will have clear guidelines for successful remediation to help you manage your expectations and hopefully prioritize communication and transparency. Any remediation project can benefit greatly simply due to transparency between IEPs, remediation technicians, and the home owner or the occupants of the contaminated indoor environment.

Develop a Medically Sound Remediation Plan

Remediation should be performed by a licensed remediator in accordance with IICRC S500, S520 standards, and 2020 Indoor Environmental Professional Panel of Surviving Mold Consensus Statement for Microbial Remediation. Finding a company that spends a lot of time on quality control and preventing cross contamination is critical to the success of the remediation work.

Our team does medically sound remediation following detailed protocols provided by Dr. Richie Shoemaker and Indoor Environmental Professionals to prevent cross contamination, minimize indoor exhaust or foreign chemicals, and zero tolerance to mold levels, dead mold, or mold fragments.

Lab testing is needed for the air and surfaces of your home to determine if medically sound remediation is needed, but also with the PRV testing is needed to determine if remediation was done properly.

Post Remediation Verification (PRV Test)

Following the Medically Sound Remediation process, post-remediation verification (PRV) testing is conducted to ensure that the remediation was effective and that the indoor environment is now safe and free from contaminants. If the remediation was not done properly, the PRV test will fail, necessitating further investigation and potentially additional remediation efforts. This process may involve revising the remediation plan and redoing the work until the environment passes the PRV test.

To ensure a successful Medically Sound Remediation process, it is crucial to hire a team with a strong track record of passing PRV tests on the first attempt. When selecting a remediation company, inquire about their history with PRV tests. Companies with frequent failures may require more time and resources, leading to increased costs and inconvenience.

Seeking Support for Your Mold Remediation Project?

A well-trained and passionate remediation team is essential for helping families recover their homes from mold exposure. If you suspect mold exposure is affecting your health, it’s important to get in touch with local mold testing companies and Indoor Environmental Professionals (IEPs) to initiate the remediation process.

Choosing a team that specializes in mold remediation, water damage remediation, and full restoration from mold, flood, or fire damage can ensure the best results for your home. Be sure to review the services offered by potential remediation companies, including remodeling, reconstruction, and emergency services, to find the best fit for your needs.

Coming Soon: Next Blog “Finding an IEP in San Diego County“

We know finding someone to help you advocate for your home’s restoration in your absence is troubling as you must trust the professional to act as yourself to make sure remediation teams are doing their work properly. Stay tuned to our blog for the next post about how to find the best IEP in San Diego for your particular needs in Medically Sound Remediation work.

Also, consider reading our other blogs regarding Ultrafine Particulate (UFPs) Matter, Toxic Air, the Impact of Mold on your Health, and various other restoration projects we have done in the San Diego community.