Friday, November 28, 2014

Mold Inspector Certification Program and Other Mold Training Courses



B.F. Environmental Consultants Inc. is honored to facilitate contractor training courses related to home building, remodeling, safety, indoor air quality, mold identification, mold remediation, home inspection, green building, and residential applications for alternative energy. We offer a series of online courses that help the licensed contractor. This portal is specially designed to help the licensed contractor, home builder, home inspector, engineer, or do-it-yourselfer learn more about mold, mold identification, mold remediation, and prevent mold growth. These courses have been designed for the licensed professional and we recommend that mold identification and remediation be done by a professional, but these are great informational courses for the average homeowner, business owner, or industrial safety professional.

The CDC, Center for Disease Control, and the Institute for Medicine found that mold " link indoor exposure to mold with upper respiratory tract symptoms, cough, and wheeze in otherwise healthy people; with asthma symptoms in people with asthma; and with hypersensitivity pneumonitis in individuals susceptible to that immune-mediated condition. The IOM also found limited or suggestive evidence linking indoor mold exposure and respiratory illness in otherwise healthy children." (IOM, 2004). The World Health Organization, i.e., WHO, found that mold, associated with bacteria and fungi, were a primary cause of indoor health related issues.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the most common health hazard posed by molds in the workplace is allergies. It can cause eye irritation, sneezing, coughing, and worsening of asthma or a life-threatening health problem.


Visit our website to know more about Mold Inspector Certification. Have a safe day!

Our Mold Education and Inspector Certification program and courses help to teach workers how to identify, avoid, and handle molds, to keep them safe and healthy at all times.

The National Association of Mold Professionals certified mold inspector and remediator course will provide you with knowledge about fungi and the potential health risks of toxigenic mold.

The Inspector Certificaion course covers:

Detailed instructions on how to inspect each area of a building or house

Explanations of tools and protective equipment used in inspections

Mold sampling and testing methods and interpreting lab results

Visit our website to know more about OSHAcampus.com Mold Inspector Certification. 
Have a safe day!

Who Needs MSHA Part 46 Training - Surface Mine Safety


F Marie Athey OHST
Written by
F Marie Athey OHST | November 28, 2014 (Reprent with approval)
Who needs MSHA training? MSHA requires everyone who falls under the Part 46 Surface Mine regulations to comply in the same way. That means that mining contractors and all types of service providers performing work in active mining areas of a mine site, must meet the same training and documentation requirements as mine operators.
Online computer based training is an acceptable form of training per MSHA. There is a misunderstanding by many in the industry that online training companies operated like any other training facility or consultant and that a representative would sign a 5000-23 as the “responsible person.” That is not the case for online training, which MSHA deems as a “training method,” not an individual or entity endorsed by the trainee’s employer as the responsible person.
Three steps to get and stay compliant with MSHA Part 46:
  1. Compliant Training Plan (keep a printed physical copy).
  • Any company can go to this website to register for a contractor ID.
  • Go here to fill out a compliant Training Plan.
  1. Training performed in a compliant manner totaling the minimum 24 hours (for New Miners) within the 90 day time period, with repeated 8 hours annually for Annual Refresher training. Four hours of training will be required before new miners can begin work.
  1. Compliant Certificate of Training 5000-23 Form (keep a printed and signed physical copy)
  • Go to the MSHA website to get a 5000-23 Certificate of Completion.
MSHA requires that 3 individuals are identified on the forms:
  1. Person Trained – This is the person receiving the training.
  2. Competent Person – This is the person with the ability, training, knowledge, or experience, deemed competent on the subject matter by the production-operator or independent contractor, who performs or oversees the training. For Part 46, this does not have to be an MSHA-approved person. It can be anyone that the mine or mining contractor sees fit to perform the training. And it can be multiple people across different types of training as needed.
  3. Responsible Person – This is the person ultimately responsible for the health and safety training of the person being trained. Usually, this is the safety manager, general manager, or owner of the business. In some cases, it can be the training facility to which trainees are sent or a training consultant who comes on-site to do training.
Please Note – MSHA allows for all 3 of these roles to actually be the same person in cases where the mining contractor is a sole proprietorship.
For Part 46, these forms do not have to be submitted to MSHA for approval. They do have to be completed, signed as needed, and physically printed so they’re available on-site at any time for an MSHA inspector’s review.
Get your "MHSA" Training Here- Other Training Courses

Ebola: 5 Safety Tips to Consider

Ebola: 5 Safety Tips to Consider
Prepared by F. Marie Athey OHST

F Marie Athey OHST
Posted by:
F Marie Athey OHST | NOVEMBER 28, 2014(Reprint) with Permission
Ebola SafetyEbola. Just a few months ago, it was a disease most people outside the medical industry knew little to nothing about. In March 2014, everything changed when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued its first public statement about the Ebola outbreak in Guinea. Since that time, Ebola has found its way to the United States and into the concerns of its citizens. Now, Ebola is part of everyone’s vocabulary.
Thankfully, taking the right safety precautions and putting the simplest safety tips into practice can make the difference between discussing Ebola and experiencing Ebola. Consider the following safety tips for controlling and preventing the virus:
  1. Practice good hygiene. This is a good rule of thumb any time, but especially during seasons of illness. Wash your hands often, keep your hands out of your mouth, and refrain from touching blood or other bodily fluids at all costs. Taking the same safety precautions used with any bloodborne pathogen will safeguard against Ebola.
  2. Monitor your health. If you have an opportunity to travel overseas or if you interact with sick patients, pay extra attention to how you feel afterward. The common symptoms of Ebola include: fever, severe headache, stomach pain, and diarrhea. The incubation period for Ebola is anywhere from 2 to 21 days, so monitoring your symptoms over the course of several weeks is essential. Seek immediate attention if you think you could be exhibiting symptoms. Better safe than sorry.
  3. Wear the appropriate personal protective equipment. Removing the protective gear—specifically the suit—can be tricky, leading some health officials to believe that it is an active contributor to the spread of Ebola. Remember, gloves come off first. (Some professionals prefer to wear two sets of gloves so that a second layer of gloves protects the hands during the rest of the de-robing process.) Untie the gown with either bare hands or the second layer of gloves, and peel out of the suit. Consider anything that came in contact with a sick patient to be contaminated. Never take chances. As soon as you have removed the suit, properly discard everything and wash your hands with soap and water.
  4. Contact your health professionals if you come in contact with someone who exhibits the symptoms. If you accidentally make direct contact with blood or body fluids when working with someone who is sick, contact health officials immediately. Handling hazardous materials and hazardous waste appropriately (as covered in HAZWOPER courses) is essential to containing and avoiding the Ebola virus.
  5. Maintain the correct perspective. The Ebola outbreak has created pandemonium amongst medical and non-medical personnel alike. Medical crises often cause fear, excessive anxiety, and irrational responses. If this anxiety is not managed appropriately, it can contribute to poor decisions, slower response time, and essentially the spread of the disease. If followed properly, CDC’s protocol should put minds to rest, enable professionals to do their jobs, and promote safety.
Without a doubt, our collective efforts will help us to be prepared and stay safe!
For More Information on the HAZWOPER COURSE