Happy September everyone! As summer comes to a close and kids are heading back to school, many of us are watching the tropics in hopes of a hurricane that will bring some profitable work! I received several questions last month, which is great! The question I want to address in this issue is one that most companies have.
“We have a hard time keeping up with certifications and new and revised standards. Do you have any recommendations for smaller companies struggling in this area?”
The struggle to keep up with the changing standards, as well as keeping employees trained, is challenging for companies of all sizes. The IICRC is becoming more efficient in getting standards updated in a more timely manner to ensure ANSI compliance, and they are also developing several additional standards that will have a direct impact on the majority of cleaning and restoration companies. IICRC currently has 17 standards and two field guides, some of which are current, some of which are being developed, and still others that are being revised.
The list is:
- S100 Carpet Cleaning
- S220 Hard Surface Floor Covering Inspection
- S250 Resilient Floor Covering
- S300 Upholstery Cleaning
- S320 Professional Assessment, Cleaning, and Restoration of Contents
- S400 Cleaning, Maintenance, and Restoration of the Commercial Built Environment
- S410 Professional Cleaning of the Built Environment for Infection Control
- S500 Water Damage Restoration
- S520 Mold Remediation
- S530 Indoor Environmental Assessment for Mold Contaminated Structures
- S540 Trauma & Crime Scene Remediation
- S550 Water Damage Restoration of Commercial Structures
- S590 Assessing HVAC Systems Following a Water, Fire, or Mold Damage Event
- S700 Fire and Smoke Damage Restoration
- S760 Wildfire Smoke Restoration
- S900 Precursors, Drug Residue, and Associated Chemical Waste
- Field Guide: Safety and Health for Disaster Restoration Professionals
- Field Guide: Safety and Health for Professional Cleaners
It is no wonder companies struggle to keep up with the changes in the standards and to ensure their technicians are trained to know the new changes!
All IICRC standards are available in both hard copy and digital copy. I have always had both. I like the hard copy for general reading and use in the classroom, but it can be expensive to have and maintain all the current editions of all the available standards. A better option for companies may be to subscribe to the digital version.
On the eVantage website, there is an annual subscription fee that provides access to ALL the standards, including any older versions. It also includes red-lined versions for newly revised standards that allow for making comparisons between the older version and the new edition so the changes can be easily identified rather than reading both standards and trying to figure out what is different. The search bar allows for the use of keywords when looking for something specific, which is a significant time-saver when trying to find information on a particular subject.
The website also provides the option to use “Bookshelf,” which saves the digital standard as an eTextbook and allows you to highlight sections or make notes in the margins for reference, making it more efficient for studying the material in the standards.
Bookshelf offers the busy technician the option to use the newly redesigned feature, “Read Aloud,” which allows the technician to listen to the audio reading of the standard and make the most of his or her valuable study time by “reading on the go.”
There is also a mobile app that can be downloaded to a smartphone. This app works in conjunction with the website that hosts the digital copies, so it can be accessed from anywhere.
The best part is if there are updates or changes to the standards during your subscription, they will automatically be updated in the digital copies, so you will always be using the most current edition of the standard.
As standards are revised, IICRC updates certification courses to be consistent with the changes in the standards. As all companies can agree, training technicians is expensive! Not only in the tuition costs to take courses but in the travel costs to send them and the production time spent away from their job. There are more options now to help keep technicians up-to-date and in the know!
The introduction of live streaming to cope with the challenges presented by the pandemic has allowed companies the option to train technicians without the associated travel costs. Most IICRC courses can be attended via live stream, and available courses are listed on the IICRC website. There are a handful of courses that cannot be offered via live stream due to the required hands-on activities, such as Applied Structural Drying (ASD) and Applied Microbial Remediation Technician (AMRT).
An additional option is attending an online course that provides continuing education credits (CECs). There are MANY courses that are IICRC-approved for CECs, and these are self-paced learning approaches that can be completed when the technician has free time or after work hours. To find the list, go to https://iicrccecevents.org/#result and select “Online Training.” Then, under “Provider,” you will not select anything. Under “Division,” you can select “Restoration” and then search all. Scroll down to view the listed schools. You will need to call them to sign up for a CEC course. All certified technicians and those who hold the Master and/or Inspector designations are required to complete CECs to maintain their certifications. To find out how many CECs you need, go to www.iicrc.org and sign into your account. You can determine how many CECs have been recorded and how many still need to be completed.
There are many courses that qualify for CECs that are not IICRC-approved courses, such as asbestos training and industry-related estimating courses. When a technician completes these courses, it is important to upload the certificate of completion into their IICRC profile so those hours are included in the total number required to maintain certification. If it is not an IICRC-approved course that does not offer an IICRC sign-in sheet to confirm attendance, IICRC would not have any way to track or know the technician has completed that course. It falls to the individual technicians to record and track their CECs and upload proof of completion.
I have always been a big advocate for doing in-house training in conjunction with formal training. That includes going through standards, safety, and health topics and engaging in hands-on training such as building containment. Set aside time every month, or as often as your business allows, to conduct in-house-led training. For example, it can be in a classroom setting in which technicians review safety data sheets (SDSs) of a chemical they routinely use to review PPE, spill cleanup measures, and first aid or technicians spending an afternoon practicing building containment using new containment techniques or ideas.
Training is an ongoing and never-ending process. It keeps your company up-to-date with new information and technology and gives you an edge over your competition. It is also one way to lower your company’s liability by ensuring technicians are knowledgeable about the standards they apply in their daily tasks. Remember…KNOW THE MOST. BE THE BEST!
“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” —Malcolm X
Have a question for Rachel? Send it to [email protected], and you might see it answered in the next edition of Ask Rachel!
Rachel Adams
Rachel Adams, I.H., M.T. (ASCP), RPIH, MWR has been involved in the water damage and environmental health industries for more than 30 years. She holds a dual Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Health Sciences and Medical Technology (Toxicology) from Purdue University and is certified by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists. Rachel also holds a Master Water Restorer designation from the IICRC through her training, dedication, and field experience. Rachel is the Director of Education for Clean Care Restoration Academy located in Panama City, Florida. She served on the Board of Directors for the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification (IICRC) and was appointed to serve as the Technical Advisory Committee Chair for the development of the IICRC Applied Microbial Remediation Technician (AMRT) which she still serves today. She is an Associate member of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA).
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