JOINT BASE MYER-HENDERSON HALL, Va. – It’s the four-letter word that pops up everywhere, on everything, and if it is not addressed, it can get out of control.
Mold.
“Mold is naturally occurring, and it is everywhere,” said Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall director of safety, Leonard Davis. “From the vents in your home or car to the walls, and even your skin, mold is all around us.”
Molds can be found almost anywhere, according to Army Medicine. It can grow on virtually any surface, provided moisture is present. There are molds that can grow on wood, paper, carpet and food.
Joint Base Myer–Henderson Hall is ready to fight the fungus, but to do so involves everyone.
The best way to counter mold is to work toward preventing its growth in living and working spaces in the first place by keeping the heating and air conditioning systems in good working condition, cleaning up areas that have moisture and keeping up with general cleaning.
When mold first appears, it can be cleaned up with a non-bleach general-purpose cleaner. Simply wipe, rinse and dry the area.
“If a Soldier or Marine living in the barracks sees mold, they need to address it right away,” Davis said. “If it is a small patch, the service member can get a cleaning kit from their regimental facility manager and take care of it easily and quickly. If it’s a larger issue, they should take a photo and submit a work order using ArMa.”
ArMa is the army maintenance work order site for barracks, which can be found on the Digital Garrison App that is available on any app store.
Davis said if the spread of mildew or mold in residential areas is less than 10 square feet, the understanding is that residents should be able to handle it themselves with cleaning products.
However, if a workspace is having problems, the process is slightly different.
Mold in workspaces needs to be reported to the facility manager, who will then decide if it can be cleaned up or if a work order must be submitted.
If a work order needs to be submitted, the facility manager will handle that process.
To find out who the facility manager is for a particular building, call the JBM-HH Department of Public Works at 703-696-3264.
Common sources/causes of mold include:
- Exterior leaks
- Uncontrolled humidity
- Plumbing failures
- Condensation
Immediate reporting of water leaks and system failures will go a long way to help stop mold.
“Correcting mold problems as soon as possible is key,” Davis said. “First by fixing the source of the moisture problem and removing contaminated materials, then cleaning the surfaces and finally, drying the area completely.”
For more information on mold and resources to help keep it at bay, visit the JBM-HH mold resources page.
For more joint base news, click here.
Social Sharing