1. Protect the surveyor 2. Protect the vessel occupants 3. Protect the vessel
Any marine surveyor who enters a confined part of a vessel and encounters strong odors that appeared to be mold-related should back out and determine if the area can be ventilated before re-entry. If that is not the case, then prudence demands that the surveyor use appropriate respiratory protection; such as a filtering face piece rated as
N-95 or higher (the author prefers the N-100). Such a precaution may seem extreme to surveyors who have never utilized such precautionary measures in the past. However, it is important to note that single intense exposures to fungal contamination which causes serious health effects are so common that it has its own medical description: organic dust toxic syndrome.
Seeing evidence of mold contamination and not reporting
that finding on the marine survey can leave the occupants at risk. Even if the surveyor was not adversely impacted by the contamination during their time of the vessel in the long-term, low-level exposures can also lead to serious problems. This means that those who later occupy the vessel can develop serious health problems, particularly since the surveyor does not typically know the health status or genetic makeup of future occupants. Regardless of whether a surveyor wants to offer sample collection services related to mold as an optional part of their inspection, documentation of any potential visual or olfactory contamination is crucial in providing a comprehensive investigative service.
Surveyors Do Not Make The News.
Figure 6
They Just Report It. By this point, some marine surveyors may be thinking: “No way. If I tell them that there is possible mold contamination or take samples, I will never get another job again. No one likes it when you bring them problems.” In contrast, professional surveyors know that they have an obligation to report their findings accurately and honestly. Even though mold contamination on boats have not been a common topic of discussion, or a detailed investigation was conducted in the past, this does not mean that the surveyor is increasing their liability by becoming knowledgeable of this important subject and sharing that knowledge with their customers.
Figure 7
From a liability standpoint, identifying potential problems and encouraging the customer to engage qualified professionals to address the issue is the best way for the surveyor to protect themselves from post-inspection disputes. With the simple tests that are now available to either support or disprove the initial suspicion of fungal contamination in a boat, adding that service as an option to a standard vessel survey makes business and legal responsibility sense.
The Report • March 2020 • Issue 91 | 75
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