Microbial Growth Prevention & Reporting

About
Microbial Growth is a type of fungus, like yeast, mushrooms, and other similar organisms. It's everywhere – you can find thousands of different kinds of it both inside and outside, all year round. Microbial growth can grow almost anywhere it's warm, damp, and has access to oxygen and food (like organic matter). Places like bathrooms, kitchens, and basements are especially good breeding grounds.

While you can't completely get rid of spores (they're always present in the air), you can take steps to prevent and clean up microbial growth. Spores get into buildings through open doors, windows, vents, and HVAC systems. They also hitch a ride indoors on clothing, shoes, bags, and even pets.

Microbial growth occurs wherever there's high levels of moisture, such as leaky roofs, windows, or pipes, or after a flood. If left untreated it can grow on many common building materials, including paper, cardboard, ceiling tiles, and wood. Mold can also thrive in dust, paint, wallpaper, insulation, drywall, carpet, fabric, and upholstery.

Prevention
To stop microbial growth from actively growing, you need to control moisture and indoor humidity. Here's what's key to preventing the growth of spores:

1. Repair plumbing leaks as soon as possible.
2. Prevent moisture condensation.
3. Maintain indoor relative humidity at levels to prevent the potential for mold growth.
4. Venting moisture-generating appliances to the outside where possible.
5. Venting cooking areas and bathrooms.
6. Clean and dry suspect areas within 48 hours. If carpets and upholstery cannot be dried, a professional assessment is required.
7. Identify areas of water infiltration, identify the cause and take preventive action to prevent recurrence in a timely fashion.

Reporting
If you suspect or see visible microbial growth in any campus building, please notify facilities management as soon as possible by following these steps:

1. Submit a work order request online or call 805-756-1587
2. Provide as much information as possible:
   1. Description of the concern (e.g. visible growth on wall)
   2. Indicate if there is standing water, wet or damp walls/floors, or leaks.
   3. Contact Information (name, building/room number, phone number)

Facilities Management and Development (FMD) reviews all requests and directs safety managers to conduct assessments within two business days.

If the area of microbial growth is less than 10 square feet, remediation, and cleaning efforts will be addressed in-house by trained housing facilities staff.  When microbial growth is detected, it is disinfected, and the space is HEPA vacuumed to remove spores. For larger areas of microbial growth, third-party remediation professionals are brought in to conduct cleaning. If the humidity in the space needs to be lowered, industrial dehumidifiers are installed, and the space is monitored to ensure the humidity stays within an acceptable range.

When water intrusion is identified during the assessment, a work request will be initiated with FMD to schedule a repair.