Caoimhín P. Connell
08-31-2009, 08:35 AM
Good morning, All:
I’ve taken the liberty of moving one of Ron’s questions to a new thread. Ron originally asked:
Caoimh*n P. Connell... I have a question for you...
Please read this statement as see if you find anything wrong with it.
This statement is a requirement by the Calif. Structural Pest Control Board. This statement must be in my Ca. WDO Inspection reports.
"This property was not inspected for the presence or absence of health related molds or fungi. By California law we are neither qualified, authorized nor licensed to inspect for health related molds or fungi. If interested parties desire any information about the presence or absence of health related molds or fungi you should contact an industrial hygienist for further inspection."
Thanks for your input...
Best
Ron
Ron and I communicated via e-mail and here was my response:
Good morning, Ron:
I have a big problem with the required language since it forces you to make one false statement and it enforces, without foundation, a false assumption about industrial hygienists.
Let’s start with the false assumption – Industrial Hygienists. Industrial Hygienists come in many flavors; some may be certified and/or competent in “comprehensive practices” (such as myself); others however may be certified and competent in exclusively one area of industrial hygiene such as "noise and sound." Or, they may be exclusively competent in, say, "radiation aspects." Many Industrial Hygienists would not know a mould from crystallized salt deposits, and would know less about the health effects thereof. Yet the California language presumes that an Industrial Hygienist, with no training in mycology, microbiology, toxicology, pathophysiology and no experience whatever in indoor moulds or fungi, is somehow magically competent to consult on the issue of indoor moulds.
The second problem is that the language FORCES you to make a false statement. “By California law we are neither qualified, authorized nor licensed…” The falsehood is that it presumes, again without foundation, that home inspectors are not qualified to make the determination!
Posit: An home inspector with bachelor’s degree in mycology and microbiology and a master’s degree in Public Health performs now runs a business as an Home Inspector. This individual used to work for UCLA as a professor of microbiology and public health and has now retired and now wants to apply his 30 years of microbiological and epidemiological experience in the assessment of indoor moulds and fungi (after all, that’s what he did for 30 years). However, the State of California presumes he is not competent BECAUSE he is an home inspector! And since he is NOT an industrial hygienist, he can't do the work!
So he gets his nephew, an ABIH Certified Industrial Hygienist to sign off his reports. The CIH in question, is 21 years old, has never taken a single class in microbiology, epidemiology or mycology – has never inspected a single property for mould and openly admits that he has absolutely no knowledge of moulds or fungi (and why would he, he studied exclusively ventilation and his ABIH certification is in “Ventilation Aspects”). And yet, the State of California thinks he IS qualified just because he IS an industrial hygienist.
It’s complete madness. However, frankly, and with all due respect, Ron, your State Assembly is rather a national laughing stock in that it seldom in the last two decades demonstrated much wisdom in its rule making processes – which is why Californians are in such dire straights right now.
I can give you real life examples about California rules and regs from my own book if you are interested, but I think the above should illustrate the silliness nicely.
I think most Home Inspectors are quite adequately qualified to do the work.
Feel free to quote me.
Cheers!
Caoimh*n
Cheers!
Caoimh*n P. Connell
Forensic Industrial Hygienist
Forensic Industrial Hygiene (http://www.forensic-applications.com)
(The opinions expressed here are exclusively my personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect my professional opinion, opinion of my employer, agency, peers, or professional affiliates. The above post is for information only and does not reflect professional advice and is not intended to supercede the professional advice of others.)
AMDG
I’ve taken the liberty of moving one of Ron’s questions to a new thread. Ron originally asked:
Caoimh*n P. Connell... I have a question for you...
Please read this statement as see if you find anything wrong with it.
This statement is a requirement by the Calif. Structural Pest Control Board. This statement must be in my Ca. WDO Inspection reports.
"This property was not inspected for the presence or absence of health related molds or fungi. By California law we are neither qualified, authorized nor licensed to inspect for health related molds or fungi. If interested parties desire any information about the presence or absence of health related molds or fungi you should contact an industrial hygienist for further inspection."
Thanks for your input...
Best
Ron
Ron and I communicated via e-mail and here was my response:
Good morning, Ron:
I have a big problem with the required language since it forces you to make one false statement and it enforces, without foundation, a false assumption about industrial hygienists.
Let’s start with the false assumption – Industrial Hygienists. Industrial Hygienists come in many flavors; some may be certified and/or competent in “comprehensive practices” (such as myself); others however may be certified and competent in exclusively one area of industrial hygiene such as "noise and sound." Or, they may be exclusively competent in, say, "radiation aspects." Many Industrial Hygienists would not know a mould from crystallized salt deposits, and would know less about the health effects thereof. Yet the California language presumes that an Industrial Hygienist, with no training in mycology, microbiology, toxicology, pathophysiology and no experience whatever in indoor moulds or fungi, is somehow magically competent to consult on the issue of indoor moulds.
The second problem is that the language FORCES you to make a false statement. “By California law we are neither qualified, authorized nor licensed…” The falsehood is that it presumes, again without foundation, that home inspectors are not qualified to make the determination!
Posit: An home inspector with bachelor’s degree in mycology and microbiology and a master’s degree in Public Health performs now runs a business as an Home Inspector. This individual used to work for UCLA as a professor of microbiology and public health and has now retired and now wants to apply his 30 years of microbiological and epidemiological experience in the assessment of indoor moulds and fungi (after all, that’s what he did for 30 years). However, the State of California presumes he is not competent BECAUSE he is an home inspector! And since he is NOT an industrial hygienist, he can't do the work!
So he gets his nephew, an ABIH Certified Industrial Hygienist to sign off his reports. The CIH in question, is 21 years old, has never taken a single class in microbiology, epidemiology or mycology – has never inspected a single property for mould and openly admits that he has absolutely no knowledge of moulds or fungi (and why would he, he studied exclusively ventilation and his ABIH certification is in “Ventilation Aspects”). And yet, the State of California thinks he IS qualified just because he IS an industrial hygienist.
It’s complete madness. However, frankly, and with all due respect, Ron, your State Assembly is rather a national laughing stock in that it seldom in the last two decades demonstrated much wisdom in its rule making processes – which is why Californians are in such dire straights right now.
I can give you real life examples about California rules and regs from my own book if you are interested, but I think the above should illustrate the silliness nicely.
I think most Home Inspectors are quite adequately qualified to do the work.
Feel free to quote me.
Cheers!
Caoimh*n
Cheers!
Caoimh*n P. Connell
Forensic Industrial Hygienist
Forensic Industrial Hygiene (http://www.forensic-applications.com)
(The opinions expressed here are exclusively my personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect my professional opinion, opinion of my employer, agency, peers, or professional affiliates. The above post is for information only and does not reflect professional advice and is not intended to supercede the professional advice of others.)
AMDG