Final cleaning, leaving containment and disposing of debris

In plain English

After demolition, the area is cleaned until dust is gone. R520's method is HEPA vacuuming followed by damp wiping with as little water as possible, repeated in rounds with time for dust to settle in between. Work goes from top to bottom and from where make-up air enters toward the air filtration device. Chambers, flaps, walls, ceilings and floors of the containment are included, and any dust found outside the containment is cleaned too. A particle counter can show when another round is needed.

Everything leaving containment follows an exit routine. Bags are vacuumed or wiped, then sealed inside a second bag. Tools are wiped and bagged for further cleaning. AFDs have their intakes sealed before they are switched off and may be stretch-wrapped. Sharp debris is packaged so it cannot puncture plastic. Workers remove outer suits and gloves in the first exit chamber and wipe respirators before taking them off in the second. Containment plastic is itself vacuumed and wiped before it comes down, and only after the area has passed evaluation and any required verification.

Outside the building, bagged debris needs no respirator to carry, but it should be handled gently and stored securely. If a bag tears indoors, workers put PPE back on, keep people away, and HEPA vacuum the spill. Ordinary mold-contaminated building debris generally needs no special disposal beyond local rules. R520 recommends factual warning labels that are not alarmist.

Key points

• HEPA vacuum, then damp wipe; repeat with settling time.
• Clean top to bottom, from the make-up air toward the AFD.
• Double-bag and wipe everything leaving the work area.
• A torn bag inside the building means PPE back on and immediate cleanup.
• Non-regulated mold debris usually goes to a normal landfill.

Official text

This topic is covered in our own words because the standard behind it is copyrighted; we cite it below rather than reproduce it.

Citations

• IICRC S520 Reference Guide, IICRC S520 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Mold Remediation — Reference Guide — Ch. 11, pp. 122–126. Best practice
• IICRC S520 Reference Guide, IICRC S520 Standard and Reference Guide for Professional Mold Remediation — Reference Guide — Ch. 13, p. 149. Best practice

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