We already told you about the recent episode of IAQ Radio, where Darrell Paulson made the announcement that ANSI had withdrawn approval of the S520 Standard. And now in an official press release from the IICRC, further context was given about the present and future state of the standard. The S520 Standard and Reference Guide will continue to be available electronically as an IICRC Standard.

The S520: 2008 Standard is nearing the five-year mark for the ANSI revision cycle, and the new Consensus Body is currently working to revise and create an updated and streamlined Standard. The revised version of S520 Reference Guide will not be part of the Standard for purposes of ANSI approval. This revised version of the S520 Standard and the accompanying Reference Guide are expected to be published towards the end of 2013.

IICRC S520-2008 is a procedural standard and reference guide for the remediation of mold-damaged structures and contents. IICRC S520 is based on reliable remediation and restoration principles, research and practical experience, and attempts to combine essential academic principles with practical elements of water damage restoration for technicians facing “real-life” mold remediation challenges. The S520 is written for use by those involved in the mold remediation industry, and is the result of collaboration among microbiologists and other scientists, public health professionals, industrial hygienists, remediation contractors, restoration service companies, cleaning and restoration training schools, trade associations that service the professional restoration industry, allied trade-persons, and others with related professional and practical experience.

IICRC would like to thank all our S520 past and current Consensus Body members for their continued support and diligence on our Standards. The withdrawal of the S520 as an ANSI Standard is not related in any way to the technical accuracy of the Standard. IICRC continues to be an ANSI-approved Standards Developing Organization and we are continuously working to support all our Standards Consensus Body members with accredited standards staff and up-to-date tools like the online workspace.

To learn more about IICRC standards, please visit iicrc.org/standards. If you have questions, contact IICRC Standards Director Mili Washington at mili@iicrc.org.