Category: Mold

Hendricks Hall Environmental Health Conditions and Protocol Advisory 11/24/21

Posted on by jepeters

Subject: Water intrusion related environmental health assessment and control protocols for Hendricks Hall room 107 and adjacencies.

CPFM discovered a small amount of mold growth in room 107 of Hendricks Hall the week of November 15th. This discovery was made during investigation of an exterior water leak. Approx. 3 ceiling tiles were removed that were impacted with mold growth, and additional mold growth was identified on the gypsum board substrate above the tiles. The total impact was 2-3 square feet in one room, with the ceiling tiles being removed intact. The cause of the leak was determined to be the building gutter system. Similar leaks have been assessed in this area in the past, but this is the first instance where mold growth has been identified. CPFM is working to minimize the likelihood of future water intrusions.

On November 22 the area was inspected by Environmental Health and Safety at the request of the occupant. EHS recommended that the removed ceiling tiles be disposed of, the hole in the ceiling be sealed, and out of an abundance of caution the office cleaned according to EPA recommended protocols. The recommendations were completed the week of this inspection by appropriately trained CPFM personnel. Due to the small area impacted and the manner in which work was conducted during the initial impact, contamination resulting from this incident in room 107 and adjacent building areas is estimated to be insignificant.

Moving forward, affected portions of the ceiling in room 107 will be demolished using EPA recommended mold abatement protocols. Mold contaminated materials will be demolished where possible and cleaned and disinfected where contaminated materials must remain. Abatement work will be conducted by trained CPFM personnel and managed by EHS. The ceiling will be patched following approval by EHS that contamination has been removed. Adjacent office areas will be evaluated and may receive similar treatment at a future date to be determined.

Thank you for your patience while we work through this issue.

Steven Stuckmeyer
Environmental Health and Safety Director
Radiation Safety Officer
stuckmyr@uoregon.edu
541-346-3197  |  fax 541-346-7008
541-285-7593 cell
University of Oregon
Safety and Risk Services  |  1260 University of Oregon
1715 Franklin Blvd. Suite 2A, Eugene OR 97403-1260
safety.uoregon.edu

Campus Wide Sanitizing Wipes Advisory – May 2021

Posted on by jepeters

Departments are using various cleaning wipes to supplement scheduled custodial cleaning. In order to ensure that all types of wipes are effective in sanitizing our workspaces, please make sure that wipes feel damp to the touch and leave a slight wet mark when you wipe a surface. You may need to pull 2 or more wipes out of the containers to get a wet wipe. Wipes can be used until they are no longer wet. If wipes are dry, check the container. If they are the green/yellow buckets, please call Work Control and they can have your container refilled with a fresh batch of wipes.

Recently, some of the Spilfyter brand wipes were found to be dried out and mold was discovered growing on the wipes. If you have Spilfyter wipes (that are in the white buckets), please check for mold by removing the lid. If the wipes are dried or moldy, pour out any residual liquid from the container into a sink, and then dispose of the bucket and remaining wipes in a regular trash can.

The following Safety Sheets are available for more information on Cleaning Wipes and Cleaning, Disinfecting & Sanitizing. For additional information, please contact Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) at 541-346-3192 or EHSinfo@uoregon.edu. To order replacement wipes, contact the Science Stores at 541-346-4600. To request additional cleaning support from CPFM, please contact Work Control 541-346-2319.

Streisinger Room 266 Mold Clean Up Notice

Posted on by jepeters

Belfor will be conducting a cleaning in Streisinger 266 tomorrow starting at 8:30 AM. We anticipate the work will take all day. Belfor will clean all surfaces with an approved disinfectant and an air scrubber. EHS will inspect and approve upon completion. We have had minimal time to plan and set this up, so we may have to make adjustments on the fly once we get started. Should Belfor need ventilation to complete the work, we’ll have to work with them to find a way to get that set up. Hopefully this will not be necessary.

After cleaning has been finished, EHS will treat the space with our ozone generator.  Ozone treatment will occur on Thursday evening and again on Friday evening. Room 266 will be off limits until Monday morning, with signage on the door barring entry.

Please contact me (Adam Jones 346-8397 asjones@uoregon.edu) if you have any questions.