Duraclean Journal of Marketing, Management and Technical Topics

There may be occasions where you come across an environment through your cleaning or remediation services and you find that testing may need to be done. There are two options: one is a certified inspector, the other is an industrial hygienist.

Certified Inspector

A certified inspector can conduct a series of surface and air sample tests. These should be sent to a reputable laboratory and the results can explain what is present in a structure and to what degree in the amount of contamination. If the purpose of the testing is only to determine what is present and to find out probable cause(s) to the problem, then the inspector is a good choice.

How do you locate a good certified inspector? If you know of one in your area that should be your first choice. If you are unaware of any try contacting ASHI (American Society of Home Inspectors.

You can go to their website at http://www.ashi.com/. Then click on "Find Home Inspectors." Then you can locate home inspectors by their zip code, metro area, name and zip code or the type of services that you are looking for along with the zip code area.

Keep in mind that inspectors are only qualified to conduct a site survey and take tests. They can't write a remediation plan if that is required as a result of the tests. If the amount or type of exposure is such that a plan would be required then a certified industrial hygienist should be considered.

Certified Industrial Hygienist




A certified industrial hygienist will conduct the same tests with the same equipment as an inspector but he/she also has the training to write a remediation plan. The remediation plan is the road map on how to deal with the structure to restore it to a safe environment. Testing after the job is completed is often part of the protocol to ensure that everything has been done properly according to the plan.

Just like the inspector if you are aware of someone in your area who is qualified in the area of mold then that should be your first choice as a contact. If you need to locate a certified industrial hygienist then you can do so through AIHA (American Industrial Hygienist Association) at www.aiha.org/content.



Once you are on their website you click on"Consultants Listing." Then click on the link for "Consumers" and do the search for contacts in your state/area.


Testing On Your Own

This is never recommended for you to do! The U.S. EPA says in its document
EPA 402-K-01-001 “Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings” that, “Sampling for mold should be conducted by professionals with specific experience in designing mold sampling protocols…a number of pitfalls may be encountered when inexperienced personnel conduct sampling…you may incur costs for unneeded or inappropriate samples.”

Plus, testing by an independent third party service adds credibility to the results leading to the work that has to be performed (scope). In addition, any post-testing cab verify that you have done the job correctly and can protect you from any liability.