Indoor Air Quality Solutions, IAQS

Florida’s mold-related services law, which went into effect on July 1, 2010, requires that all mold assessors and mold remediators obtain a license to work in the state.

Individuals currently practicing mold assessment and remediation will be pleased to learn that the state law includes a “grandfather” clause allowing applicants to qualify for the license until March 1, 2011.

Florida will accept “grandfather” applications from two types of people:

1. Individuals who are certified as mold assessors or mold remediators by state or national associations that require a proctored examination in mold assessment or mold remediation. These grandfather applicants must also submit proof of completion of at least 60 hours of education in mold assessment or at least 30 hours of education in mold remediation.

2. Individuals who can demonstrate at least three years of field experience in mold assessment or mold remediation. As proof of field experience, these grandfather applicants must submit 40 invoices for mold assessment or mold remediation services.

Individuals who do not meet either of these criteria for grandfathering may obtain a license by taking one of six ACAC certification exams and completing Florida’s initial license application.

John P. Lapotaire, CIEC
Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant
Microshield Environmental Services, LLC
www.Microshield-ES.com
www.CFL-IAQ.com

Do I currently need a Florida State License to perform Mold related services (assessment or remediation)?

Yes, A license will be required after July 1, 2010; however, Florida Statutes provide that unlicensed activity will not be enforced until July 2011.

If my company does both Mold Assessments and Mold Remediations, will I be required to get two (2) licenses (one for Mold Assessor and one for Mold Remediator?

This would be considered a conflict of interest by the state, Section 468.8419(1)(d), F.S., provides that an assessor may not “perform or offer to perform any remediation to a structure on which the mold assessor or the assessor’s company provided a mold assessment within the last 12 months.” Section 468.8419(2)(d), F.S., provides that a remediator may not “perform or offer to perform any assessment to a structure on which the mold remediator or the remediator’s company provided a mold remediation within the last 12 months

John P. Lapotaire, CIEC
Certified Indoor Environmental Consultant
Microshield Environmental Services, LLC
www.Microshield-ES.com
www.CFL-IAQ.com

When hiring a professional consultant or contractor it is important to hire a company with qualified and certified staff that will be following industry standards and guidelines to ensure a job done right.

ACAC offers training course for various kinds of IAQ and mold specialists, including assessment and remediation programs available to IAQA members in the various indoor air disciplines.

Florida Chooses ACAC Exams for New Mold License

The ACAC is pleased to announce that as of July 1, 2010, the American Council for Accredited Certification (ACAC) is the exclusive provider of mold license examinations for the state of Florida.

ACAC signed an exclusive contract with Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) whereby all applicants for licensure by examination under Florida’s new Mold Related Services law must have passed one of six ACAC certification exams.

Applicants for the Florida mold assessor license may take the Council-certified Indoor Environmentalist (CIE), Council-certified Indoor Environmental Consultant (CIEC) or Council-certified Microbial Consultant (CMC) examinations.

Applicants for the Florida mold remediator license may take the Council-certified Microbial Remediator (CMR), Council-certified Microbial Remediation Supervisor (CMRS) or Council-certified Indoor Environmental Supervisor (CIES) examinations.

If you hold one of these ACAC certifications in good standing, congratulations! You are already qualified for the Florida license. Simply download a Florida license application at http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/pro/mold/documents/mold_app_licensure.pdf and complete the “License by Grandfathering” section.

Florida’s decision to rely on ACAC exams reinforces our position as the industry leader for independent professional certifications. ACAC exams were chosen in part because they are based on widely accepted industry texts, not on proprietary training courses. They are developed by independent industry experts according to stringent psychometric principles and administered in compliance with international consensus standards. ACAC certifications are also the only IAQ designations to earn third-party accreditation by the Council for Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards (CESB), a nationally-recognized accreditation body.

The ACAC is constantly working to enhance the value and visibility of ACAC designations, and is pleased to add Florida to our list of accomplishments in this regard.